Ruturaj Gaikwad sends message to 'young wicket-keeper' Dhoni and CSK after injury setback: 'I’ll be right there'

Chennai Super Kings captain Ruturaj Gaikwad has sent a message of support to the “young wicket-keeper” captain MS Dhoni and his team ahead of their Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 match against Kolkata Knight Riders on Friday. Gaikwad has been ruled out of the remainder of the IPL 2025 due to a hairline fracture in his elbow. He has been replaced by Dhoni as the CSK captain for the remaining matches.

Gaikwad’s injury has come at a poor time for the Chennai franchise as they are currently on a four-match losing streak . Their only win came at Chepauk against Mumbai Indians in the tournament opener.

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“Yes, we have been struggling a bit now, but we’ve got a young wicket-keeper leading the team now, and hopefully things will turn around. I’ll be right there with the squad, supporting them from the dugout,” Gaikwad said.

“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.

Straight from Rutu’s soul! 🤳💛📹#WhistlePodu #AllYouNeedIsYellove 🦁💛 pic.twitter.com/PNIZBWR1yR

— Chennai Super Kings (@ChennaiIPL) April 10, 2025

Talking about his injury he said: “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.”

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Explaining Gaikwad’s injury, CSK coach Stephen Fleming revealed that the batter suffered the blow against Rajasthan Royals on 30 March. He added that Dhoni had no hesitation in captaining CSK.

“He (Gaikwad) 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,” Fleming said ahead of the CSK vs KKR match.

“He (Dhoni) had no hesitation to step up and help guide us out of this if we can. So that was never a doubt,” Fleming added.