IPL 2025: CSK's Ruturaj BREAKS silence after Dhoni replaces him as captain for remaining season (WATCH)

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad gave his first reaction after MS Dhoni replaced him as the captain for remaining matches of the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025. 

Ahead of the clash against Kolkata Knight Riders at Chepauk on Friday, CSK head coach Stephen Fleming confirmed that Ruturaj Gaikwad has been ruled out of remainder of the IPL 2025 due to elbow fracture, which he sustained during the clash against Rajasthan Royals, and announced that MS Dhoni is returning to the helm as the captain of the side. Despite injury, Gaikwad captained and batted in the next two matches against Delhi Capitals and Punjab Kings. 

Speaking at the press conference on the eve of the clash against KKR, Fleming stated that Ruturaj’s MRI scan revealed a fracture in elbow’s radial neck, while confirming that ‘uncapped player’ Dhoni will take over the reins of CSK as the captain for the remaining season of the ongoing IPL 2025. 

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

Ruturaj Gaikwad feels ‘gutted’ after being ruled out

In a video posted by Chennai Super Kings on its X handle (formerly), Ruturaj Gaikwad shared a message to the fans after being ruled out of the IPL 2025. The 28-year-old expressed his disappointment to have been ruled out of the tournament due to elbow injury and thanked the fans for their support. 

“I am really gutted to miss the rest of the IPL due to an unfortunate elbow injury. I want to thank everyone for your support so far, it truly means a lot,” Gaikwad said. 

Ruturaj Gaikwad was appointed as the captain of CSK ahead of the IPL 2024. However, he did not have an ideal captaincy debut as the Chennai Super Kings failed to qualify for the playoffs after being knocked out by Royal Challengers Bengaluru from the league stage of the tournament based on net run rate (NRR). 

In the ongoing IPL season, the five-time IPL champions have had a disappointing start to their campaign, losing four matches in five outings. MS Dhoni has stepped in as the captain at a crucial juncture in the IPL 2025, where CSK are desperate to revive their campaign and stay in contention for the playoffs. 

Ruturaj Gaikwad on MS Dhoni as CSK captain

Further speaking in a video, Ruturaj Gaikwad is hoping that under the leadership of ‘young wicketkeeper’ MS Dhoni, the fortunes of the CSK will turn around after a disappointing start to the campaign. The CSK skipper concluded that he would be supporting the team from the dug out. 

“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,” Gaikwad added. 

“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,” he concluded. 

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 disappointing start to their campaign under Ravindra Jadeja’s leadership, where they lost where they lost six out of their first eight matches,

MS Dhoni has captained Chennai Super Kings for 15 seasons of the IPL and now, he will once again take charge in the ongoing IPL season and will look to turn their campaign around and lead them to playoffs.

Also read: IPL 2025: Revisiting MS Dhoni's top 6 knocks as CSK captain in the tournament