Chennai Super Kings (CSK) just caught a tough break, as their captain, Ruturaj Gaikwad, won’t be able to play in the current Indian Premier League (IPL). This means that MS Dhoni, the legendary player, will step back in to lead the team for the rest of the season. CSK’s coach, Stephen Fleming, shared this news just before their big match against the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on Friday at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.
Ruturaj, who is 28 years old, hurt his elbow while batting against Tushar Deshpande during a match against Rajasthan Royals on March 30. Although he managed to play in the following games against Delhi Capitals and Punjab Kings, doctors have now confirmed that he has a fracture, which is definitely disappointing news for the team.
This injury is a big hit for CSK, who are already struggling this season with only one win out of five matches. Losing their captain, who plays a crucial role in the batting lineup, is not what they needed right now. Ruturaj has been a standout player for CSK, being their top run-scorer in three out of the last four seasons.
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On a related note, the last time Dhoni captained CSK was during the IPL 2023 final against the Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad. In that thrilling match, it was Ravindra Jadeja who became the hero, hitting a four and a six off the final two balls to clinch the fifth IPL title for CSK. Throughout his career, Dhoni has been at the helm for 235 matches and has led the team through all of its championship wins.
Back in 2022, Dhoni handed over the captaincy to Ravindra Jadeja. But after a tough start to the season, Jadeja had to return the captaincy back to Dhoni, showing just how much faith the team has in Dhoni’s leadership. As CSK looks ahead, it’ll be interesting to see how they adapt to this setback with the seasoned Dhoni back at the controls.
