MS Dhoni becomes first uncapped player to captain a franchise in IPL

MS Dhoni became the first uncapped player in the history of the Indian Premier League (IPL) to lead a franchise after he was named the skipper of the Chennai Super Kings (CSK), following Ruturaj Gaikwad's hairline fracture on right elbow. Dhoni will lead CSK for the remainder of IPL 2025 after Ruturaj Gaikwad was ruled out of the season.

His first assignment as a CSK captain in IPL 2025 will be against defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on April 11. Under Dhoni, CSK won IPL five times in 2010, 2011, 2018, 2021 and 2023.

Why is Dhoni playing in uncapped category in IPL 2025?

But why is Dhoni playing in uncapped category in IPL 2025 despite leading the Indian team for close to a decade and winning three ICC titles - 2007 T20 World Cup, 2011 ODI World Cup and 2013 Champions Trophy. According to IPL rules, any player whose last international match has come five years ago, will be categorised as uncapped.

The last time Dhoni played an international match for India was in 2019 against New Zealand during the ODI World Cup semifinal. He announced his international retirement in 2020. As a result, Dhoni was retained at a price of ₹4 crore before IPL 2025.

Meanwhile, at the age of 43 Dhoni will become the oldest captain in IPL. The previous record is also held by Dhoni, when he led the Yellow Army against Gujarat Titans in IPL 2023 at 41 years and 325 days.

How MS Dhoni fare as CSK captain?

Ever since the IPL 2008, Dhoni has been leading CSK. He first stepped down as CSK captain in 2022 and passed on the baton to Ravindra Jadeja. However, the former India captain had to take back the charge after CSK lost all the first seven games under Jadeja.

He finally left CSK captaincy after the 2023 season, passing on the leadership duties to Ruturaj Gaikwad. Under Gaikwad, CSK finished fifth in IPL 2024. In the ongoing edition, CSK lost four out of their five games so far.

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