MS Dhoni's captaincy won't single-handedly salvage CSK's campaign: Robin Uthappa
What's the story
Former Chennai Super Kings (CSK) player Robin Uthappa has doubted MS Dhoni's return as captain will change the fortunes of the team in the ongoing IPL 2025.
This comes after CSK head coach Stephen Fleming announced Dhoni will lead the team for the remainder of the tournament, following Ruturaj Gaikwad's elbow injury during a match against Rajasthan Royals.
Here are further details.
Strategy shift
Uthappa emphasizes need for strategic changes
Uthappa, who played for CSK in his playing days, stressed the need for tactical changes considering Gaikwad's absence.
He proposed that CSK should promote Rahul Tripathi to No.3 in their batting order.
"I don't think him being captain is going to automatically turn the tide for CSK," Uthappa told the broadcasters.
Notably, Dhoni, 43, has been criticized for his batting positions this season. He even came to bat at number nine in a game.
Team performance
CSK's current standings and future prospects
CSK are having a tough season as of now, sitting ninth on the table with only two points and a net run rate of -0.889 from their five games.
Although they started their campaign with a win over Mumbai Indians (MI), they have lost four matches in a row since.
Uthappa raised questions about potential replacements for Gaikwad and if Sam Curran would return to the lineup, indicating that there are many variables yet to be determined.
Information
Decoding his captaincy numbers
Dhoni has led in 226 IPL matches to date. He has won 133 matches besides losing 91. Two matches have not had any results. For CSK, he had led in 212 matches, posting 128 wins and 82 defeats (NR: 2).