'Young wicketkeeper leading the team now' - Ruturaj Gaikwad as MS Dhoni takes over CSK captaincy

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) suffered a massive blow in the IPL 2025 as their captain, Ruturaj Gaikwad, was ruled out of the tournament after sustaining an elbow fracture. Not only a captain, he was also one of the best batters on the team. Without him, CSK's struggling top-order looks even weaker.

While his batting replacement is yet to be confirmed, the team has decided to hand over the captaincy duties to MS Dhoni for the rest of the matches. Head coach Stephen Fleming confirmed the development in a press conference on April 10 before CSK's home game against Kolkata Knight Riders.

Later the same day, CSK's official social media account released a video where Gaikwad spoke about his injury, how he will miss the season, and yet how excited he is to see a "young wicketkeeper" leading the team.

"Yes, it's been a challenging season, but we’ve got a young wicketkeeper leading the team now, and hopefully things will turn around. I’ll be right there with the squad, supporting them from the dugout. I would’ve loved to help lift the team out of this situation, but some things are simply out of our control. Looking forward to backing the boys for the rest of the campaign, here's to a strong finish to the season," said Gaikwad in a video posted on CSK's social media handles.

Watch the video here:

CSK aren't having a great time in the tournament with four losses in five games. With Dhoni back as a captain, CSK fans will have some relief and hope for the remaining season.

In Gaikwad's absence, the Chennai-based franchise will expect the likes of Rahul Tripathi, Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra to do the job for the team. Moreover, Shivam Dube and Vijay Shankar will have to manage in the middle order. It will be interesting to see how the season unfolds for CSK now, with Dhoni back to doing what he is best known for.