MS Dhoni may captain CSK as Ruturaj Gaikwad uncertain for Delhi Capitals clash

ANI April 5, 2025 417 views

Chennai Super Kings face a potential leadership transition as Ruturaj Gaikwad recovers from an elbow injury sustained in the previous match. Veteran wicketkeeper MS Dhoni might step in as captain for the crucial game against Delhi Capitals. Team batting coach Michael Hussey expressed cautious optimism about Gaikwad's recovery, suggesting he might train before the match. The situation highlights the team's adaptability and depth in leadership options.

"We're hopeful that he'll be fine for tomorrow" - Michael Hussey
Chennai, April 5: Ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 clash against Delhi Capitals (DC) at home, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) batting coach Michael Hussey provided an update on franchise skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad's injury.

Key Points

1

Gaikwad injured during Rajasthan Royals match with elbow issue

2

Dhoni potential captaincy replacement emerges

3

CSK facing uncertainty before crucial game

4

Hussey confirms player's gradual recovery

Gaikwad was hit on his unprotected elbow during the previous clash of the ongoing 18th edition of the cash-rich league against Rajasthan Royals at Guhawati. This incident took place when the 28-year-old player stepped out on the bowling of right-arm seamer Tushar Deshpande in the second over while chasing a target of 183 runs.

Speaking at the pre-match press conference, the former cricketer said that Gaikwad's elbow is sore right now but he is getting better day by day.

"Yeah, we're hoping he [Gaikwad] is going to try and have a bat today for training. And, yeah, it [elbow] is still a little bit sore, but it's improving every day. So, we're very hopeful that he'll be fine for tomorrow," Michael Hussey said as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.

Further, the 49-year-old hinted that wicketkeeper-batter MS Dhoni is a likely option to lead the five-time champions in the game against unbeaten Delhi Capitals at the MA Chidmbaram Stadium in Chennai on Sunday.

"I don't think we've actually thought about that [captaincy] too much. Well, I haven't thought about it too much. I'm sure Stephen Fleming [CSK head coach] and Rutu have thought about that. But we've got some young guy coming through. He's behind the stumps. Maybe he can do a good job. I'm not sure. He's got a bit of experience in the role, so maybe he could do it. But I'm not exactly sure, to be honest," the former IPL player added.

Squads:

Delhi Capitals: Jake Fraser-McGurk, Faf du Plessis, Abishek Porel, KL Rahul (wk), Tristan Stubbs, Axar Patel (c), Vipraj Nigam, Mitchell Starc, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohit Sharma, Mukesh Kumar, Ashutosh Sharma, Karun Nair, Sameer Rizvi, Donovan Ferreira, Tripurana Vijay, Darshan Nalkande, Dushmantha Chameera, T Natarajan, Ajay Jadav Mandal, Manvanth Kumar L, Madhav Tiwari.

Chennai Super Kings Squad: Rachin Ravindra, Rahul Tripathi, Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), Shivam Dube, Vijay Shankar, Ravindra Jadeja, MS Dhoni (wk), Jamie Overton, Ravichandran Ashwin, Noor Ahmad, Matheesha Pathirana, Khaleel Ahmed, Mukesh Choudhary, Devon Conway, Shaik Rasheed, Sam Curran, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Shreyas Gopal, Anshul Kamboj, Nathan Ellis, Gurjapneet Singh, Ramakrishna Ghosh, Andre Siddarth C, Vansh Bedi, Deepak Hooda.

Reader Comments

P
Priya K.
Thala for a reason! 🦁💛 Even if it's just one match, seeing Dhoni captain again would be magical. Hope Ruturaj recovers soon though - we need our young gun back in action!
R
Rahul S.
Honestly think CSK should consider having a proper vice-captain ready. Relying on Dhoni as backup at this stage isn't sustainable. Otherwise great article with all the details!
A
Anjali M.
That elbow injury sounds painful! 😬 Hope Gaikwad takes the time he needs to heal properly. Short-term captaincy solutions are fine but player health should come first.
V
Vikram P.
Hussey's comments about "the young guy behind the stumps" made me chuckle. Like we don't know he's talking about the legend himself! CSK always keeps things interesting.
S
Sanjay T.
Interesting to see how DC's strong batting lineup will fare against CSK's bowling at Chepauk. The pitch might be the real decider in this match.

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

Leave a Comment

Your email won't be published

Tags:
You May Like!