The Chennai Super Kings (CSK) have been one of the most successful franchises in the history of the Indian Premier League (IPL). CSK won the IPL title five times, most recently in 2023, under the captaincy of MS Dhoni. From the first edition in 2008 to 2019, MS Dhoni’s team was runner-up in five seasons. MS Dhoni has been a flag bearer for this dynamic team while the squad kept reshuffling. However, he stepped down as captain in IPL 2024, and Ruturaj Gaikwad took charge as a skipper.
MS Dhoni’s participation in IPL 2025 has been confirmed by the CSK management after they retained him ahead of the upcoming season. During IPL 2024, there was an anticipation that it might be Dhoni’s last outing for CSK Yellow, and he would be announcing his retirement soon after the end of the season. Contrary to IPL history, CSK could not qualify for the playoffs in IPL 2024. There have been 12 playoff qualifications out of 14 seasons, a record that CSK proudly holds. Replicating consistency makes CSK a frontrunner in IPL history, while former skipper MS Dhoni stands pivotal to the glory of CSK throughout the years. Faith in the modern-day captain of CSK, Ruturaj Gaikwad, continues to take this franchise ahead in IPL 2025.
CSK Captains in IPL From 2008 to 2025
MS Dhoni has been the captain of CSK from the inaugural season of the IPL in 2008 until he stepped down as captain for IPL 2024. He led the team to the final in the first season, where they lost against Rajasthan Royals. After that, CSK went on to clinch the title in 2010, 2011, 2018, 2021, and 2023 under Dhoni’s captaincy, which made him one of the most successful captains in IPL history. However, Dhoni decided to step down from captaincy ahead of IPL 2022, and Ravindra Jadeja was appointed as the captain in his place. However, CSK had a disastrous outing under Jadeja’s captaincy as they won only two of the eight matches under his stint. After that, Jadeja was removed from the captaincy during the mid-season in IPL 2022, and Dhoni took over the charge again.
| Player | Span | Matches | Won | Lost | Tied | Draw | NR | W/L | %W | %L |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ruturaj Gaikwad | 2024- | 19 | 8 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.00 | 42.10 | 57.89 |
| MS Dhoni | 2008-2023 | 227 | 133 | 92 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1.57 | 58.59 | 40.52 |
| SK Raina | 2010-2019 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.66 | 33.33 | 50.00 |
| RA Jadeja | 2022-2022 | 8 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.33 | 25.00 | 75.00 |
Ruturaj Gaikwad Captaincy Records in IPL
The Chennai Super Kings chose Ruturaj Gaikwad as the successor to MS Dhoni for leading the team in IPL 2024. Ruturaj’s stint as a CSK skipper bagged him seven wins and seven defeats. In 14 matches, he achieved 50% as the winning percentage, showing mixed outcomes hovered around CSK with lack of consistency for which CSK has built a reputation in IPL history. Although as a batter, his performance was outstanding wth one ton and four half-centuries in IPL 2024, there needs to be more resiliency during pressure situations. It has been rare for CSK not to qualify for playoffs, which is a reality check in IPL 2024 for the team to focus on improvement for bouncing back.
| Matches | Won | Lost | Tied | Draw | NR | W/L | W% | L% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19 | 8 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.00 | 42.10 | 57.89 |
CSK IPL 2025 Squad
| No. | Player | Type | Acquisition | Role | Auction Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ruturaj Gaikwad (C) | Indian | Retained | Batter | INR 18 crore |
| 2 | Ravindra Jadeja | Indian | Retained | All-rounder | INR 18 crore |
| 3 | Matheesha Pathirana (Sri Lanka) | Overseas | Retained | Bowler | INR 13 crore |
| 4 | Shivam Dube | Indian | Retained | Batter | INR 12 crore |
| 5 | MS Dhoni | Indian | Retained | Batter/Wicketkeeper | INR 4 crore |
| 6 | Devon Conway (New Zealand) | Overseas | Auction | Batter | INR 6.25 crore |
| 7 | Rahul Tripathi | Indian | Auction | Batter | INR 3.40 crore |
| 8 | Rachin Ravindra (New Zealand) | Overseas | RTM | All-rounder | INR 4 crore |
| 9 | Ravichandran Ashwin | Indian | Auction | Bowler | INR 9.75 crore |
| 10 | Syed Khaleel Ahmed | Indian | Auction | Bowler | INR 4.80 crore |
| 11 | Noor Ahmad (Afghanistan) | Overseas | Auction | Bowler | INR 10 crore |
| 12 | Vijay Shankar | Indian | Auction | All-rounder | INR 1.20 crore |
| 13 | Sam Curran | Overseas | Auction | All-rounder | INR 2.40 crore |
| 14 | Shaik Rasheed | Indian | Auction | Batter | INR 30 lakh |
| 15 | Anshul Kamboj | Indian | Auction | All-rounder | INR 3.40 crore |
| 16 | Mukesh Choudhary | Indian | Auction | Bowler | INR 30 lakh |
| 17 | Deepak Hooda | India | Auction | Batter | INR 1.70 crore |
| 18 | Gurjapneet Singh | India | Auction | Bowler | INR 2.20 crore |
| 19 | Nathan Ellis (Australia) | Overseas | Auction | Bowler | INR 1.25 crore |
| 20 | Ramakrishna Ghosh | India | Auction | All-rounder | INR 30 lakh |
| 21 | Kamlesh Nagarkoti | India | Auction | Bowler | INR 30 lakh |
| 22 | Jamie Overton | Overseas | Auction | All-rounder | INR 1.50 crore |
| 23 | Shreyas Gopal | India | Auction | Bowler | INR 30 lakh |
| 24 | Vansh Bedi | India | Auction | Batter | INR 55 lakh |
| 25 | C Andre Siddarth | India | Auction | Batter | INR 30 lakh |
CSK will be fighting to reclaim the IPL title in IPL 2025. As it is assumed to be the final season for MS Dhoni, the CSK management will be aiming to give him a proper farewell with a record sixth title in the cash-rich league.
