<p>Bengaluru: It would have been hard enough for Ruturaj Gaikwad to navigate his role as Chennai Super Kings' skipper had he only dealt with the shadow of MS Dhoni. </p>.<p>But, MS is still there, in the flesh: behind the stumps with his voice, eyes, glove-tipped baton for directions. MS is still at the crease with his unabashed cudgel, calm and legacy fluttering like a cape on his 43-year-old back.</p>.<p>How then does Gaikwad go about his unenviable role? Well, that’s for him to figure post-haste because the CSK faithful won’t be lenient for too long. After all, they have been privy to the most successful IPL team in history for more than a decade and half and can’t plausibly fathom the idea of the end of a dynasty. </p>.IPL 2025: Dwayne Bravo promises to instill 'champion mentality' in KKR.<p>In a sense, it will be because the odds of Dhoni continuing after this season are slim to none, but that doesn’t mean the management doesn’t have the acuity to pick fitting cogs to further their cause. </p>.<p>Last season too they had done so, but there was evident confusion in the hierarchy, leading to them failing to qualify for the play-offs for only the third time since 2008. This time, perhaps, they have alleviated that consternation over the months to ensure Gaikwad has the freedom to be the captain he wants to be and not one he’s expected to be. </p>.<p>The reason why Gaikwad’s captaincy supersedes all else is because as a side CSK have one of the most well-curated squads this season. </p>.<p>Their strategy at the auction was revelatory as they picked a whole bunch of quality spinners to capitalise on MA Chidambaram stadium’s spin-cordial pitches. Those pitches didn’t play true to past last season, meaning the team had a bone to pick with the curators, but with that sorted out, they have onboarded the likes of Noor Ahmed, R Ashwin and more to complement the bowling machine that is Ravindra Jadeja. </p>.<p>The pace unit is nicely stacked with Matheesha Pathirana, Sam Curran, Nathan Ellis and the like offering ammo. And, on the batting front, they have enough local talent to dive into if their Kiwi imports - Rachin Ravindra and Devon Conway - don’t do it for them. </p>.<p>Mat: 239; Won: 138; Lost: 98; NR: 2; W%: 57.74. </p>.<p>Highest total: 246/5 vs Rajasthan Royals (Chennai, April 3, 2010)</p>.<p>Lowest total: 79/10 vs Mumbai Indians (Mumbai, May 5, 2013)</p>.<p>Top finishes: Champions: 2010, 2011, 2018, 2021, 2023.</p>.<p><strong>SQUAD:</strong> Ruturaj Gaikwad (captain), Matheesha Pathirana, Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, MS Dhoni (wk), Devon Conway, Rahul Tripathi, Rachin Ravindra, R Ashwin, Khaleel Ahmed, Noor Ahmad, Vijay Shankar, Sam Curran, Shaik Rasheed, Anshul Kamboj, Mukesh Choudhary, Deepak Hooda, Gurjapneet Singh, Nathan Ellis, Jamie Overton, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Ramakrishna Ghosh, Shreyas Gopal, Vansh Bedi, Andre Siddarth. </p>
<p>Bengaluru: It would have been hard enough for Ruturaj Gaikwad to navigate his role as Chennai Super Kings' skipper had he only dealt with the shadow of MS Dhoni. </p>.<p>But, MS is still there, in the flesh: behind the stumps with his voice, eyes, glove-tipped baton for directions. MS is still at the crease with his unabashed cudgel, calm and legacy fluttering like a cape on his 43-year-old back.</p>.<p>How then does Gaikwad go about his unenviable role? Well, that’s for him to figure post-haste because the CSK faithful won’t be lenient for too long. After all, they have been privy to the most successful IPL team in history for more than a decade and half and can’t plausibly fathom the idea of the end of a dynasty. </p>.IPL 2025: Dwayne Bravo promises to instill 'champion mentality' in KKR.<p>In a sense, it will be because the odds of Dhoni continuing after this season are slim to none, but that doesn’t mean the management doesn’t have the acuity to pick fitting cogs to further their cause. </p>.<p>Last season too they had done so, but there was evident confusion in the hierarchy, leading to them failing to qualify for the play-offs for only the third time since 2008. This time, perhaps, they have alleviated that consternation over the months to ensure Gaikwad has the freedom to be the captain he wants to be and not one he’s expected to be. </p>.<p>The reason why Gaikwad’s captaincy supersedes all else is because as a side CSK have one of the most well-curated squads this season. </p>.<p>Their strategy at the auction was revelatory as they picked a whole bunch of quality spinners to capitalise on MA Chidambaram stadium’s spin-cordial pitches. Those pitches didn’t play true to past last season, meaning the team had a bone to pick with the curators, but with that sorted out, they have onboarded the likes of Noor Ahmed, R Ashwin and more to complement the bowling machine that is Ravindra Jadeja. </p>.<p>The pace unit is nicely stacked with Matheesha Pathirana, Sam Curran, Nathan Ellis and the like offering ammo. And, on the batting front, they have enough local talent to dive into if their Kiwi imports - Rachin Ravindra and Devon Conway - don’t do it for them. </p>.<p>Mat: 239; Won: 138; Lost: 98; NR: 2; W%: 57.74. </p>.<p>Highest total: 246/5 vs Rajasthan Royals (Chennai, April 3, 2010)</p>.<p>Lowest total: 79/10 vs Mumbai Indians (Mumbai, May 5, 2013)</p>.<p>Top finishes: Champions: 2010, 2011, 2018, 2021, 2023.</p>.<p><strong>SQUAD:</strong> Ruturaj Gaikwad (captain), Matheesha Pathirana, Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, MS Dhoni (wk), Devon Conway, Rahul Tripathi, Rachin Ravindra, R Ashwin, Khaleel Ahmed, Noor Ahmad, Vijay Shankar, Sam Curran, Shaik Rasheed, Anshul Kamboj, Mukesh Choudhary, Deepak Hooda, Gurjapneet Singh, Nathan Ellis, Jamie Overton, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Ramakrishna Ghosh, Shreyas Gopal, Vansh Bedi, Andre Siddarth. </p>