Dhoni to lead Chennai Super Kings after Gaikwad injury

Veteran batsman Mahendra Singh Dhoni will lead Chennai Super Kings for the remainder of the Indian Premier League season after an injury ruled out Ruturaj Gaikwad, coach Stephen Fleming said.

An MRI confirmed that Gaikwad, 28, has an elbow fracture, Fleming said, adding that Dhoni would take over as captain for the remainder of the IPL.

“Unfortunately, Ruturaj Gaikwad is going to be ruled out of the tournament,” Fleming said.

“(Gaikwad) got hit in Guwahati. He’s been operating with an amount of pain.”

Dhoni, 43, led Chennai from 2008 until 2024, when he handed the captaincy to Gaikwad.

He had also handed the captaincy to Ravindra Jadeja in 2022, but took back the leadership midway through the season after a string of disappointing results.

Under Dhoni, CSK have won five IPL titles, the last in 2023, as well as two Champions League trophies.

The team however had a dismal start to the current season, losing four of their first five matches.

They are currently languishing in ninth place, just above the last-placed Sunrisers Hyderabad.

“He (Dhoni) had no hesitation to step up and help guide us out of this (poor run),” Fleming said.

“We’ll look at replacements. We’ve got some good players in the squad that have been with us a while, so we’ll look from within first.”

The final of the Twenty-20 tournament, comprising 74 matches, will be played on May 25.