IPL 2025: Cracks show at Chennai Super Kings as Gaikwad-Dhoni rift rumours swirl

Dubai: On the field, they’re getting outplayed. Off the field, they might be falling apart.

Chennai Super Kings are bottom of the Indian Premier League table, winless in five, and now grappling with unsettling rumours of discord — sparked by skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad unfollowing MS Dhoni on Instagram and then appearing in training footage just hours after being ruled out with a hairline fracture.

The five-time champions are enduring their worst-ever start to an IPL season, and the slide shows no signs of stopping. Adding to their misery, Gaikwad — one of their most consistent batters in recent seasons — was ruled out of the rest of the tournament due to an elbow injury. The news broke on the eve of their clash against Kolkata Knight Riders on Thursday, with the franchise announcing that Dhoni would return to lead in his absence.

The former skipper couldn’t alter the team’s fortunes, as CSK slumped to a humiliating third straight loss at home for the first time in 18 years. The once-formidable Chepauk fortress has been breached multiple times this season: Royal Challengers Bengaluru ended their 18-year wait for a win there, Delhi Capitals followed it up by breaking a 15-year drought, and on Friday, Kolkata Knight Riders joined the list.

Chennai's lowest total in IPL history

Led by former CSK stars Ajinkya Rahane and Moeen Ali, and bolstered by spin ace Varun Chakravarthy — who knows the surface well from his Tamil Nadu roots — Kolkata restricted Chennai to just 103 for nine, their lowest total in IPL history.

But the result wasn’t the only headline. Off the field, Chennai fans noticed that Gaikwad had unfollowed Dhoni on Instagram, sparking speculation of a rift within the camp. Further doubt was cast when training footage emerged showing Gaikwad casually playing football, leading fans to question the severity of the injury and whether all is well within the Chennai dressing room.

Head coach Stephen Fleming confirmed in an official statement that an MRI scan revealed a hairline fracture sustained during the match against Rajasthan Royals. But that hasn’t stopped the rumour mill from spinning.

Meanwhile, the 28-year-old Gaikwad took to CSK’s social media to express both his disappointment and gratitude.

“I am really gutted to miss the rest of the IPL due to an unfortunate elbow injury. I want to thank everyone for your support so far, it truly means a lot,” he said in a heartfelt video message.

The off-field uncertainty has only magnified frustrations around CSK’s on-field strategy. Many fans have questioned the lack of new talent in the side, especially after last year’s mega auction in Jeddah. The top-order’s failure has been central to the collapse this season.

Following Friday’s defeat, former India opener Kris Srikkanth criticised the way Chennai’s innings began. Rachin Ravindra and Devon Conway soaked up deliveries without intent, only to gift their wickets cheaply. CSK were 18 for 2 after five overs. Srikkanth compared it to a Test match rehearsal and suggested that the team explore the pool of unsold players to fix their powerplay woes, even mentioning Prithvi Shaw as a potential solution.

Former CSK batter Matthew Hayden also voiced his frustration — particularly with Dhoni’s comments on the side’s conservative powerplay approach.

Conservative strategy hurts Chennai

“Quite a few nights haven’t gone our way. Need to look deep down inside. Challenge was there, but we needed to tackle. Didn’t have enough runs on the board today and didn’t get partnerships as well,” Dhoni said during the post-match interview. On CSK’s early-overs strategy, he added: “It is important to see the conditions. A couple of conditions where we have done well. We don’t want to match somebody else or some other team. We have quality openers and it is important not to get desperate seeing the scoreboard. A few boundaries and the score keeps moving. If we target 60, it gets tough. If we lose wickets, the middle order needs to do the heavy lifting and the slog never comes.”

Hayden wasn’t convinced.

“I genuinely felt like this was a 180-plus wicket. It looked like a good surface. It was hard black soil, and you hear MS Dhoni talk there about the powerplay. Simon Katich asked him a question and his response was, ‘We’ve got to be conservative. We’ve got to play the whole 20 overs.’ I disagree. You know, when you’re giving away 30 runs…”

The former Aussie opener added that the cautious starts are forcing CSK’s middle order — including Dhoni himself — into rescue acts far too often.

“They’ve got good enough players. Being conservative, they’re also cutting their sharp men and sharpshooters like Shivam Dube and MS Dhoni himself, who’s under so much pressure at the back end and having to play catch-up.”

While the off-field issues may or may not hold weight, at the heart of CSK’s troubles is the woeful form of their top three — Devon Conway, Deepak Hooda and Rahul Tripathi. With Gaikwad now sidelined, Chennai will have to dig deep as they face Lucknow Super Giants on Monday. Another defeat could all but kill their playoff hopes, leaving them to chase not just an improbable winning streak — but perhaps, a bit of lost trust.