CSK finished the IPL 2025 at the bottom of the points table.
Former Chennai Super Kings (CSK) player S. Badrinath has made a huge statement on the franchise’s current captain Ruturaj Gaikwad. He believes that the 28-year-old does not possess the qualities of a skipper. Notably, an elbow injury midway through the tournament sidelined Gaikwad from the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025.
“They tried giving captaincy to Ruturaj, it didn’t work. As far as I’m concerned, he doesn’t have great leadership qualities and isn’t captaincy material,” he opined on a show on Star Sports Tamil.
The IPL 2011 winner felt that CSK management would face a tough challenge while selecting a skipper for their future seasons. Previously, they had already tried Ravindra Jadeja in 2022. However, it did not work in their favour. Jadeja stepped down from the role midway through the tournament and asked their former captain MS Dhoni to lead the side again.
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Moreover, the former batter analysed that Ravichandran Ashwin, INR 9.75 crore buy of CSK, may find it difficult to retain his spot in the squad after a subpar performance this season. He also suggested that the franchise might look for Sanju Samson or Rishabh Pant if their respective teams decide to release them ahead of the auction. However, that is also not quite feasible to rely upon. In this situation, Badrinath believes that the five-time IPL-winning captain Dhoni will continue to lead CSK in the upcoming editions.
“Jadeja, again no leadership qualities. Ashwin may not be there in the franchise itself. Who else will be captain? Will you take Sanju Samson? No idea. Will Rishabh Pant come to the auction table? No idea. Who else will be captain? There’s no other way. Because the situation demands it now, more than ever, I think MS Dhoni will continue to lead. CSK have no other option,” said the former CSK player.
The Chennai outfit, which is one of the most successful franchises in history, have endured a tough season in the recently concluded IPL 2025. Following Gaikwad’s injury after just five matches into the league, former skipper Dhoni once again donned the captain’s hat this season. However, the change of captaincy didn’t bring much change to the fortunes of CSK in the IPL 2025.
The Men in Yellow continued to struggle with their form and matchups throughout the season. But some youngsters including Ayush Mhatre, Urvil Patel, Noor Ahmad and Dewald Brevis, lit up the stage with their respective performances towards the business end of this cash-rich league. However, CSK managed to win only four out of their 14 fixtures this season and finished the league stage at the bottom of the points table.
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