MS Dhoni will return to captain Chennai Super Kings in the absence of Ruturaj Gaikwad, who has been ruled out of IPL 2025 with an arm fracture, head coach Stephen Fleming said on Thursday.
“Ruturaj is ruled out of the tournament. He got hit in Guwahati (against Rajasthan Royals) and has been operating with an amount of pain. We had an MRI, which revealed a fracture in his elbow, in the radial neck,” the head coach said during the pre-match press conference.
“We have an uncapped player, MS Dhoni, who will take over as captain for the remainder of the IPL,” he added in jest.
The encounter against the Kolkata Knight Riders at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium on Friday will be Dhoni’s first match in charge since the IPL 2023 final, when the side beat Gujarat Titans in a last-ball thriller in Ahmedabad to seal its fifth IPL title.
Fleming said the former India captain did not show any hesitation in taking up the mantle of captaincy.
“He understands the team is in need at the moment. He had no hesitation in stepping up and helping guide us out of this. That was never a doubt,” the Kiwi coach said.
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The coach did not name any immediate replacements for the stricken skipper.
“We’ve got some good players in the squad that have been with us a while. We’ll look from within first, but there is an opportunity to see how we can enhance the squad moving forward into subsequent years,” Fleming suggested.
Despite suffering four consecutive losses since its victory against the Mumbai Indians on home turf, Fleming remained positive about the team’s performance this season.
“We’re not that far away, and that’s the frustrating thing, but it has to click. If it’s not one area, it’s another, and that tends to dog you when you’re pushing for form. We’ve just got to smarten up on some little things, that’s all,” he explained.
The head coach, however, concurred that the team’s fielding has pegged them back at important moments during the winless run. CSK’s loss against Punjab Kings, too, saw the team spurn chances in the field, allowing young opener Priyansh Arya to score his maiden hundred.
“We had them five for 90 or 100. Then we had mishaps in the field, which I think let them off the hook. And, we saw a fine innings from a young player who had the night of his life, but we had opportunities throughout,” the coach said.
Despite his expensive figures across the five matches so far, Fleming said off-spinner R. Ashwin is playing a crucial role for the team.
“That sixth over is a tough over, so don’t underestimate the role that he’s playing. And after that, he came back really well. What we are doing is taking wickets, and that’s been the positive thing,” Fleming said.
