'Forcefully Dropped?' - CSK Fans Question Ruturaj Gaikwad's Injury Claims After Video of Him Playing Football Goes Viral

Chennai Super Kings announced on Thursday (April 10) that captain Ruturaj Gaikwad will miss the rest of the IPL 2025 season due to an elbow injury he picked up against the Rajasthan Royals. 

An MRI scan on the injured elbow revealed a fracture which meant Gaikwad would play no further part in this edition of the Indian Premier League. 

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Gaikwad's replacement as skipper? The ‘uncapped’ MS Dhoni, who has led them to a joint-record five IPL titles. 

"We have an uncapped player, MS Dhoni, who will take over as captain for the remainder of the IPL," said Stephen Fleming, CSK's head coach in a press conference.

However, some fans are now questioning the severity of Gaikwad's injury after a video of him playing football went viral. 

See The Video Here

The authencity of the video cannot be confirmed, nor can the exact date of the incident. But it was enough to get tongues wagging among the CSK fanbase. 

However, many fans rightfully also pointed out that Gaikwad's injury is in the elbow and not the legs, which means he could participate in the football warm-ups without much issue. 

CSK's Sketchy Records With Dhoni's Successors

But the reason people are coming up with conspiracy theories is that CSK have a strange past when it comes to replacing Dhoni as skipper. 

In 2022, Ravindra Jadeja was named captain but was replaced by Dhoni after results nosedived, a decison that almost led to Jadeja quitting the franchise. 

Gaikwad is in a similar position, as CSK's form has been poor so far this season. 

Whether Dhoni can now turn things around, however, remains to be seen.