No MS Dhoni as CSK skipper, Ruturaj Gaikwad fit to lead, makes two changes in playing XI

Contrary to what was believed, MS Dhoni did not lead CSK in DC match, as Ruturaj Gaikwad got fit in time for the clash.

So, the cat is out of the bag and MS Dhoni won’t lead CSK in the all important clash against DC at home. Instead, Ruturaj Gaikwad will continue to lead his side in the IPL 2025, after talks of him sitting out, due to an injury. But then he soon made it clear at the toss that he was fully fit, and eager to go and play. “Elbow is good. Conway comes in for Overton. Mukesh comes in from Tripathi,” Rutu said.

MS Dhoni, CSK Captain for DC Match?

Nonetheless, there were two changes made in the CSK playing XI, where under-performing Rahul Tripathi made way for Devon Conway; whereas one foreigner who went out was Jammie Overton. The other change was, Mukesh Choudhary came in too. One of the biggest problems for CSK this season has been their misfiring top-order, where collectively, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Rachin Ravindra and Rahul Tripathi failed.

Devon Conway Back for CSK

So, Devon Conway, who has an excellent record — 23 matches, 924 runs at an average of 46, only makes sense. Once again, bowling will be their stronger suit, having the likes of Noor Ahmad and Khaleel Ahmed, who have picked up nine and six wickets, respectively.

It would also be interesting to see, at what position does MS Dhoni bat. In one of the matches, he down at No. 9, which had invited a lot of criticism from the fans, as well as the experts.

Chennai Super Kings (Playing XI): Rachin Ravindra, Devon Conway, Ruturaj Gaikwad(c), Vijay Shankar, Ravindra Jadeja, MS Dhoni(w), Ravichandran Ashwin, Noor Ahmad, Mukesh Choudhary, Khaleel Ahmed, Matheesha Pathirana.

Delhi Capitals (Playing XI): Jake Fraser-McGurk, KL Rahul(w), Abishek Porel, Tristan Stubbs, Sameer Rizvi, Axar Patel(c), Ashutosh Sharma, Vipraj Nigam, Mitchell Starc, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohit Sharma.