Former Indian cricketer Sanjay Bangar claimed that MS Dhoni’s presence is stalling Ruturaj Gaikwad’s rise as a skipper in the Chennai Super Kings.
Bangar’s statement came in the CSK’s last game of IPL 2025 against the Gujarat Titans at the Narendra Modi Stadium on May 25, Sunday.
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Sanjay Bangar’s bold allegations against MS Dhoni
Sanjay Bangar believed that Ruturaj Gaikwad and Ravindra Jadeja have not grown as leaders under Dhoni’s shadow. Neither Gaikwad nor Jadeja ever played better in their own captaincy.
Bangar dropped a shocking statement as he feels MS Dhoni’s presence doesn’t allow other players to evolve as leaders. Bangar also claimed that Jadeja and Gaikwad were seen mirroring MS Dhoni’s mindset.
“Ruturaj & Jadeja remain under Dhoni’s shadow, never truly taking their own leap. Always mirroring MS’s mindset, they miss the chance to evolve, but Dhoni’s presence keeps it locked, stalling the rise of new leaders,” Bangar said on Star Sports.
If we look into Bangar’s statement, it was pretty much right that whenever CSK management tried to bring a new leader into their team, unfortunately, MS Dhoni overshadowed him, and was involved in the match as a leader.
CSK’s worst IPL season
CSK were among the first few teams to be eliminated from the playoff contention. They finished last in the points table and this was their worst IPL season.
CSK never finished beyond ninth position, but in this season, they were outclassed by every team in every department, especially in the batting department.
The only positive for CSK this season was the young players like Noor Ahmed, Dewald Brevis, and Ayush Mhatre. Noor finished this season with 24 wickets in 14 matches and currently holds the purple cap as well.
Brevis was signed mid-season by the CSK and played only six matches and scored 225 runs at an 180 strike-rate. Brevis also smashed the second-fastest half-century for the CSK.
Ruturaj Gaikwad’s return in IPL 2025
CSK’s downfall in IPL 2025 started when their skipper, Ruturaj Gaikwad, was ruled out of the tournament due to an injury. After Gaikwad’s departure, CSK were never seen to be settled in this season.
Gaikwad played only five matches this season and scored 122 runs with a 150.62 strike rate. The CSK skipper will make his comeback in the next season.
CSK finished at the bottom of the points table for the first time. Gaikwad has also recovered from his injury as he will travel with the India A squad to England on June 6.
