IPL 2025: Hussey hints Dhoni may lead CSK vs DC if Gaikwad is unfit

Key Takeaways

MS Dhoni may lead CSK if Ruturaj Gaikwad is unfit.
CSK could face reshuffles in their middle-order.
Devon Conway and Rahul Tripathi are potential replacements.
Hussey remains confident in the team's ability to improve.
DC remains undefeated in the competition.

Chennai, April 4 (NationPress) The batting coach of Chennai Super Kings, Michael Hussey, has suggested that MS Dhoni might take the helm in their IPL 2025 matchup against Delhi Capitals at the MA Chidambaram Stadium this Saturday, should the regular captain Ruturaj Gaikwad fail to recover promptly from his elbow injury.

Gaikwad sustained an injury to his right forearm while attempting to play a shot off Tushar Deshpande during the second over in CSK's loss to Rajasthan Royals (RR) in Guwahati on Sunday. "I don't believe we have given much thought to that (captaincy) yet. Honestly, I haven't thought about it extensively."

“I’m certain Stephen Fleming (head coach) and Rutu have considered it. However, we have some emerging talent who might step up. He’s behind the stumps and may handle the role well. He has some experience, so it's a possibility, but I'm not entirely sure,” stated Hussey during the pre-match press conference on Friday.

If Gaikwad is unable to play, CSK will have to reorganize their middle-order once more. Devon Conway could fill in as a top-order option, potentially opening alongside Rachin Ravindra, with Rahul Tripathi batting at number three. Dhoni's previous match as IPL captain saw him guide CSK to a nail-biting victory against Gujarat Titans in the 2023 final held in Ahmedabad.

Although CSK's top order has not delivered significant scores thus far, Hussey remains optimistic about their performance against DC, who have yet to be defeated in this season. “We have faced some strong bowling during the PowerPlay. We haven’t managed to start as quickly as we would have liked.”

“Still, I believe that if we stick to our strategy, and if the conditions are favorable, we should be able to play more aggressively. In other matches, teams can afford to take more risks when the ball doesn’t swing or bounce excessively.”

“RCB capitalized on the added pace and bounce effectively, making things tough for our batters. Against Rajasthan, they bowled exceptionally well with the new ball and applied pressure. We would have preferred a quicker start, but there’s no need to panic just yet,” he concluded.