One Win, Eight Games: CSK lack direction without MS Dhoni

 

The five-time IPL-winning captain, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, was ruled out of the opening 3 fixtures for the Chennai Super Kings, and his absence was evident with the results. The Chennai side has been heavily reliant on the former CSK captain for success, and the records speak for themselves.

 

The Chennai Super Kings have suffered a humiliating start to the season, with 3 consecutive defeats against the Rajasthan Royals, Punjab Kings and the Royal Challengers Bengaluru. The inefficiency of Ruturaj Gaikwad as captain of the side has cleared the air of doubt regarding the role of Dhoni in the side, despite coming in late down the order.

 

Leadership gap evident in CSK’s struggles without MS Dhoni.

 

MS Dhoni has appeared for the Chennai Super Kings in all the 17 seasons they have played and he played for the Rising Pune Supergiants when the side was banned in the 2016-17 seasons. Dhoni has missed only 9 matches in his entire campaign for CS, K, including the three matches he missed this season. He is undoubtedly one of the best captains in the history of the IPL, along with Rohit Sharma, as he has won five titles with CSK. The wicket-keeper batter from Ranchi is held in high regard as a genius of the game, as his field placements and mind games often disrupt the rhythm of the batters. As captain of the side, he has a winning rate of 56.85% from the 248 games he has captained for the side.

 

(https://x.com/i/status/2041131375433064791)

 

 

Without MS Dhoni, the Chennai Super Kings have only won one out of the 8 games that they have played so far. Suresh Raina was the vice captain of the side as he led the franchise in 6 games between 2010 and 2019. However, the only victory of CSK under Raina’s captaincy came in 2010 against the Delhi Daredevils. Ravindra Jadeja was appointed as the captain in the 2022 season,n and the team lost 6 out of the 8 matches they had played. Later, MS Dhoni was appointed as the captain mid-season,n and the team went on to win the IPL that year. Then Ruturaj Gaikwad was given captaincy in the 2024 season, and he faced the longest losing streak in the history of the franchise, losing 6 consecutive matches across the 2025 and 2026 season. 

Tactical void leaves CSK searching for MS Dhoni’s Spark.

It is beyond doubt that the Chennai Super Kings are a totally different side in the absence of their veteran leader. Despite the claims of Stephen Fleming on the involvement of MS Dhoni in the planning and mentorship area, the mid-match tactics lack the classical attacking nature that Dhoni used to implement. With the potential return of MS Dhoni as the captain of the Chennai Super Kings again, this could be seen as a desperate but much-needed change in the side.