Chennai, Apr 10: Mahendra Singh Dhoni is set to lead Chennai Super Kings (CSK) once again in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 after regular skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad was ruled out for the remainder of the season with an elbow fracture.

Gaikwad, who was leading the CSK in IPL 2025, sustained a blow to his right forearm during CSK’s match against Rajasthan Royals in Guwahati earlier this season. Scans later revealed an elbow fracture, effectively ending his campaign.

CSK head coach Stephen Fleming confirmed the news and the leadership change ahead of their crucial match against Kolkata Knight Riders on Friday.

“As far as replacements go, we have a few options in the squad. We haven’t zeroed in on anyone. Dhoni was ready to take over. He understood where it was coming from,” Fleming said during the pre-match press conference.

This will be Dhoni’s first match as captain since the IPL 2023 final in Ahmedabad, a memorable night when Ravindra Jadeja hit a six and a four in the final two balls to secure CSK’s fifth IPL title. Having handed over the captaincy to Gaikwad at the start of the season, Dhoni had taken a step back from leadership duties but continued to play a key role behind the scenes and with the bat.

Dhoni has led CSK in a record 235 matches, including all of the franchise’s five title wins. He had briefly relinquished the role in 2022, handing the captaincy to Ravindra Jadeja, but poor results led to Dhoni reassuming control midway through the season.

Chennai Super Kings are currently languishing at the penultimate spot in the points table with only one in five matches. They have suffered their biggest-ever home defeat in 18 years of the Indian Premier League (IPL) against Royal Challengers Bengaluru.

--IANS

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