IPL 2025: Dhoni to lead CSK again after Ruturaj ruled out due to injury

M.S. Dhoni giving fielding instructions during the IPL match between Chennai Super Kings vs Mumbai Indians at MAC Stadium on Sunday.
| Photo Credit: RAGU R

M.S. Dhoni will lead Chennai Super Kings for the remainder of the IPL season after regular skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad was ruled out of the tournament with an elbow fracture.

Ruturaj got hit on his right elbow during the match against the Rajasthan Royals last month but played the next two games against Delhi Capitals and Punjab Kings.

“Ruturaj is ruled out of the tournament. He got hit in Guwahati. He’s been operating with an amount of pain. We got an x-ray, which was inconclusive. And we had an MRI, which revealed a fracture in his elbow, in the radial neck,” said head coach Stephen Fleming on the eve of the match against Kolkata Knight Riders on Thursday (April 10, 2025).

“We are disappointed and feel for him. We appreciate the efforts that he has gone to in terms of trying to play. Unfortunately, he will be out of the tournament starting now. We have an uncapped player, M.S. Dhoni, who will take over as captain for the remainder of the IPL.”

“He (Dhoni) had no hesitation to step up and help guide us out of this if he can,” added the former New Zealand skipper.

Dhoni, who has led the Super Kings to all five titles, last captained the side in the 2023 final when it beat the Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad. The former India skipper gave up the captaincy before the 2024 season, passing the baton to Ruturaj.

This will be the second time Dhoni takes over as captain in the middle of the IPL season, having done so once in 2022 when Ravindra Jadeja relinquished midway through the year.

Like in 2022, CSK has had a forgettable start to the season so far and is ninth on the points table with just one win from five games, including four consecutive defeats.