- By Gurmeet Batra
- Sun, 03 Aug 2025 09:40 AM (IST)
- Source:JND
Legendary Chennai Super Kings cricketer MS Dhoni confirmed the return of Ruturaj Gaikwad as the CSK captain for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 amid the shake-up talks, stating that the top-order batter's comeback will bolster the five-time champions' batting.
After Gaikwad pulled out mid-way through the previous season with an elbow injury, the legendary Indian wicketkeeper-batter had to step up and take the helm of CSK once again.
“We are slightly worried about our batting order. But I think our batting order is quite sorted out now. Rutu (Gaikwad) will be coming back. He got injured. But he will be coming back. So, we are quite sorted now,” said Dhoni during a private function here, indicating that the Super Kings will retain the services of Gaikwad.
The five-time champions finished 10th on the table with just four victories from 14 matches, labouring to cobble together constant batting efforts.
Speaking at the event, Dhoni emphasised that the team is committed to building a well-rounded squad, while Gaikwad's return will strengthen their batting order.
“I won't say we (CSK) slacked off (in IPL 2025). But there were certain holes that we needed to plug in. A small auction is coming in December. Some loopholes are there, and we will try to plug those in,” he added.
After two seasons of underwhelming outings, Dhoni gave a candid assessment of CSK's performances, acknowledging the Super Kings have been well below par over.
“Yes, the last couple of years have not been good for us. We have not been up to the mark. But what is important is for you to see the learnings. Yes, you had a bad season. But what went wrong? And that was the question for us last year also," said the former captain.
“We were like, okay, there are some shortcomings. But first we needed to exactly figure out what were the shortcomings and then look at solutions,” he noted.
In a video going viral on the internet, the 44-year-old was asked about his cricket future and the legendary captain has now hinted at his participation in the IPL next year.
“I just got a tick mark for the next five years I can play cricket. But the only catch is Doc only gave a clearance for eyesight. Body, He didn’t gave a clearance for the body. But I cannot play cricket only with my eyes," he said.