IPL 2025: Fans go berserk as Dhoni returns to lead CSK for remainder of the season

Ahead of the IPL 2025 clash against Kolkata Knight Riders, Chennai Super Kings head coach Stephen Fleming dropped big news that MS Dhoni will return to helm as the captain for the remainder of the season.

Dhoni is back at captaining CSK after Ruturaj Gaikwad has been ruled out of the remaining matches of the ongoing IPL season due to injury on his elbow. Gaikwad was hit on his elbow in the match against Rajasthan Royals. However, the 28-year-old played the next two matches against Delhi Capitals and Punjab Kings before he was declared unfit to play the remaining season after the MRI revealed a fracture on his elbow. 

Speaking at the press conference on the eve of  the KKR clash, Fleming said, “"He got hit in Guwahati. 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.”

“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," he added.

Fan cannot keep calm 

As soon as CSK head coach Stephen Fleming confirmed the return of MS Dhoni as captain, the fans, especially Chennai Super Kings’ fans erupted with joy as ‘Thala’ is set to lead the team again after two years. Taking to their X handle (formerly Twitter), fans flooded the platform with memes and emotional posts celebrating the return of Thala as the captain of Chennai Super Kings. 

MS Dhoni is returning to lead Chennai Super Kings at a crucial juncture where they have lost four matches in five outings. CSK’s only victory came against Mumbai Indians, while they lost remaining matches against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Rajasthan Royals, Delhi Capitals, and Punjab Kings.

In the last IPL season, under Ruturaj Gaiwad’s captaincy, CSK endured a disappointing campaign as they were knocked from the league stage by Royal Challengers Bengaluru based on net run rate (NRR).

Can MS Dhoni turn the table around after CSK’s disappointing start? 

This is not the first time MS Dhoni stepped in as the captain in the middle of an IPL season. Back in 2022, Dhoni took over the reins of CSK as a captain after the side endured a disappointing start to their campaign under Ravindra Jadeja’s leadership, where they lost where they lost six out of their first eight matches,

With Dhoni returning to helm as the captain is a big boost for Chennai Super Kings as his leadership, composure, and tactical acumen could revive their playoffs after a disappointing start to their campaign. The five-time IPL champions are currently at the ninth spot on the points table with just 2 points and have a NRR of -0.889. 

MS Dhoni will look to turn the table around for Chennai Super Kings in the remaining matches of the league stage. The clash against Kolkata Knight Riders is crucial for CSK as the win could set a tone for a strong comeback under Dhoni’s leadership.