MS Dhoni returns to CSK captain after 684 days; A look at Stalwart's achievements as Chennai Super Kings captain in IPL | Mint

Chennai Super Kings is currently weakening in the Ninth place in the Indian Premier League 2025 standings. Their victory against Mumbai Indians in their opening match on March 23, 2025, remains their only victory this season, as they have dropped to four consecutive losses. As they stare at the prospect of a hat -trick of losses at their fortress, the mother Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, CSK will hope Dhoni wears the bracelet, will be a sign of good things to come. The environment is perfect as they face Kolkata Knight Riders at the fort and the defending champions come into play with a defeat of their own, although a close one. Either way, it’s not Dhoni’s first rodeo as a replacement captain and he will be well aware of the situation in hand. Dhoni, the ‘temporary’ captain MSD, led CSK from the beginning, 2008 to the start of the 2022 season when he decided to transfer the stick to Ravindra Jadeja. However, after a similar disastrous start in that season, Dhoni took captaincy halfway through the season and led the team to 2024 before handing the bracelet to Gaikwad permanently. So, with Gaikwad injured, it was a natural choice to fall back to the 43-year-old former captain, who led the franchise in 2010, 2011, 2018, 2021 and 2023 to five IPL titles, also with two Champions League trophies. Another feather his list of achievements is a very long one, and some of them contain the following: – 5: Joint IPL titles as captain – 133: captain in IPL history with more than 100 wins – 59.3: Best winning percentage as an IPL captain – 10: Most IPL finals as a captain – 4.794 runs: 15: Most man of the match achievements, he adds another feather to his cap. Dhoni becomes the first player who is not the captain of an IPL franchise by taking over Gaikwad. Stay up to date with all the actions from the IPL 2025. Look at the IPL 2025 schedule, follow the latest IPL 2025 points table and follow the top performers with the orange cap and purple cap. First published: 11 Apr 2025, 07:17 IST