Under Dhoni's captaincy, CSK have won five IPL titles.
MS Dhoni returned as the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) captain for the first time since their title-winning campaign in IPL 2023 after regular skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad was ruled out of the remainder of the IPL 2025 season.
On the eve of their fixture against KKR at Chepauk, CSK head coach Stephen Fleming confirmed that Gaikwad has a fracture on his left elbow and will not take further part in the 18th edition.
"He [Gaikwad] got hit in Guwahati. He's been operating with an amount of pain," Fleming told reporters in Chennai on Thursay. "We got an X-ray, which was inconclusive, and we had an MRI, which revealed a fracture in his elbow, in the radial neck.
"So we're disappointed and feel for him. We appreciate the efforts that he's gone to in terms of trying to play, but unfortunately, he'd be out of the tournament from now. We have an uncapped player, MS Dhoni, who will take over as captain for the remainder of the IPL."
CSK also issued an official statement minutes later, “Ruturaj Gaikwad ruled out of the season due to a hairline fracture of the elbow."
Dhoni returning as CSK captain in the middle of a season is not happening for the first time. In 2022, Ravindra Jadeja was removed from the leadership after CSK got off to the worst possible starts, losing almost all of their matches in the first half of the league stage.
This year too, the five-time champions are languishing at the ninth position in the 10-team points table, with only one win in five matches so far.
Under Dhoni's captaincy, CSK have won five IPL titles in 2010, 2011, 2018, 2021 and 2023 and two Champions League trophies.