Ruturaj Gaikwad has been ruled out of the IPL due to an elbow fracture

A major setback for Chennai Super Kings, Skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad has been ruled out of the IPL due to an elbow fracture. Captain was ruled out on Thursday, and as per coach Stephen Fleming, MS Dhoni will now lead the team for the remaining Indian Premier League matches. “As far as replacements go we have 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.

Gaikwad sustained an injury during a match against the Rajasthan Royals in Guwahati. Initially, it was unclear whether he would feature in the next clash, but he showed improvement and eventually stepped out to lead the team as captain. In recent developments around his progress, Gaikwad suffered an elbow fracture and has been ruled out for the rest of the season, starting with CSK’s match on Friday against Kolkata Knight Riders.

MS DHONI to Captain CSK: Stephen Fleming

After the news of Ruturaj being ruled out surfaced, Stephen Fleming stated that they were looking for replacements and hadn’t finalized anyone for the role. Dhoni is ready to step in, understanding the need of the hour for the franchise. He played his last match as captain against Gujarat Titans in the year 2023 when he led the team to a title win before passing the baton to Young leader Gaikwad.

CSK’s IPL triumphs under Dhoni came in 2010, 2011, 2018, 2021, and 2023. In 2022, Ravindra Jadeja was appointed captain, but Dhoni was forced to retake the reins mid-season due to poor performances. Now with Ruturaj being ruled out, Dhoni will again take on the team’s responsibility and will feature as captain for the remaining IPL 2025 Season.