Skip to main content

Dhoni's Reaction After Replacing Gaikwad As CSK Captain: "Had No..."

MS Dhoni will once again lead Chennai Super Kings in the IPL. When CSK get down to action against Kolkata Knight Riders in an IPL 2025 match in Chennai on Friday, all eyes will be on the most successful IPL captain - MS Dhoni. However, the situation that CSK find itself in is not at all ideal. The five-time champions have lost four out of five matches, they are placed 9th in the 10-team league and now regular captain Ruturaj Gaikwad is also out due to an elbow injury. In this scenario, MS Dhoni steps in to revive CSK's campaign.   

CSK coach Stephen Fleming said MS Dhoni was not at all averse to the idea of leading CSK again. 

"He had no hesitation to step up and help guide us out of this if we can," Fleming said. "So that was never a doubt. 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. But yeah, there is an opportunity to see how we can enhance the squad probably moving forward into subsequent years."

Dhoni had previously captained CSK from 2008 till 2023 and won five IPL titles. He handed over the captaincy to Gaikwad ahead of the 2024 season. Gaikwad sustained the blow when he was hit by a short ball from Jofra Archer on March 30, and since then he has played two games.

"We have an uncapped player, MS Dhoni, who will take over as captain for the remainder of the IPL," Fleming told mediapersons ahead of the match against KKR on Friday.

"He got hit in Guwahati (vs RR). He's been operating with an amount of pain. We got an X-ray, which was inconclusive, and we had an MRI, which revealed a fracture in his elbow, in the radial neck," Fleming said.

While Gaikwad played through pain against Delhi Capitals and Punjab Kings, the CSK medical team could only get his MRI done after the swelling subsided.

"So we're disappointed and feel for him. We appreciate the efforts that he's gone to in terms of trying to play, but, he will be out of the tournament.

While Gaikwad has easily been the best batter in the last five games, he has often been left frustrated by a floundering top order and below-par show by the middle order, where CSK haven't been able to chase anything in excess of 180.

CSK doesn't have too many options now apart from bringing back Rahul Tripathi in the top-three although he has looked terribly out of place so far.

Deepak Hooda, one of the seasoned CSK players, can come in the middle order.

CSK can also look at the untested Delhi boy Vansh Bedi to do some power hitting.

The Chennai team is entitled to a substitute player and it could be Mumbai teenager Ayush Mhatre filling in that slot. 

With PTI inputs



source https://sports.ndtv.com/cricket/ms-dhonis-reaction-after-replacing-ruturaj-gaikwad-as-csk-captain-in-ipl-2025-had-no-8135552

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

156.7 Kmph Sensation Awaits India Debut, Bangladesh Start Life After Shakib

Pace sensation Mayank Yadav is expected to unleash his raw speed while the absence of India's T20 regulars will provide another opportunity to the fringe players in the three-match series against Bangladesh, beginning here Sunday. Having consistently generated speed in excess of 150kmph in his maiden IPL earlier this year, Mayank had drawn the attention of the cricketing world before a side strain ruled him out of the tournament. Usually, one has to prove fitness in domestic cricket to be considered for national selection but the 22-year-old has been fast-tracked into the side considering his special talent. The series against Bangladesh will be a test of his fitness and temperament. It is yet to be figured if he can display the same accuracy and control that he exhibited in the IPL. Besides Mayank, fellow Delhi pacer Harshit Rana and all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy could also make their India debut over the course of the series. Nitish was picked for the Zimbabwe tour post the T...

PCB Not Happy With Pak Star Over Social Media Post On Babar Snub: Report

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is not pleased that Fakhar Zaman questioned the selection panel's decision to sideline Babar Azam from the Test side. The panel dropped former captain Babar Azam when they announced the squad for the remaining two Tests against England in Multan and Rawalpindi. Zaman took to X to question the decision, inviting the ire of the PCB. "The top board officials are not pleased with the tweet sent out by Fakhar and relevant persons are having a word with him about it," a well-informed PCB source said. "It's concerning to hear suggestions about dropping Babar Azam. India didn't bench Virat Kohli during his rough stretch between 2020 and 2023, when he averaged 19.33, 28.21, and 26.50, respectively. "If we are considering sidelining our premier batsman, arguably the best Pakistan has ever produced, it could send a deeply negative message across the team. There is still time to avoid pressing the panic button; we should focus on sa...

Gardner Shines Again As GG Register Six-Wicket Win Over UPW In WPL 2025

Skipper Ashleigh Gardner starred with both bat and ball, leading Gujarat Giants to a comprehensive six-wicket win over UP Warriorz in their Women's Premier League match in Vadodara on Sunday. Gardner (2/39) claimed two wickets and then scored a stylish 32-ball 52, her second consecutive fifty, as Gujarat registered their first win of the third edition of the tournament, following a loss in the opening game to Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Opting to bowl, Gujarat produced a clinical effort with young spinner Priya Mishra returning impressive figures of 4-0-25-3. Skipper Gardner, Deandra Dottin (2/34), and Kashvee Gautam (1/15) also played key roles in restricting UPW to 143 for nine. Chasing 144 to win, the Giants were reduced to 22 for 2 with opener Beth Mooney and Dayalan Hemalata back in the pavilion after UPW introduced spin at both ends. However, Gardner produced an inspired knock, adding 55 runs off 42 balls with Laura Wolvaardt (22) to resurrect the innings. Gardner struck t...