Not MS Dhoni, Ruturaj Gaikwad walks out for toss vs DC

Ahead of Match 17 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 between Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Delhi Capitals (DC) at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, there was uncertainty surrounding CSK skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad's availability. The franchise had said a late call would be made on his participation, sparking wild speculation that MS Dhoni might walk out for the toss in his place — a possibility that sent fans into a frenzy.

However, after 24 hours of intense buzz and anticipation, the suspense finally ended when it was Ruturaj Gaikwad — not Dhoni — who strode out for the toss. 

Ruturaj Gaikwad is fit

At the toss, Ravi Shastri checked in on Gaikwad’s fitness, to which the CSK skipper replied, "My elbow is fine." Fans were relieved to see the in-form opener fit and leading the side in a must-win clash, especially with CSK reeling from two consecutive defeats and currently placed 8th on the points table.

🚨 Toss 🚨@DelhiCapitals won the toss and elected to bat against @ChennaiIPL

Updates ▶️ https://t.co/5jtlxucq9j #TATAIPL | #CSKvDC pic.twitter.com/YQ2hx92XNM

— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 5, 2025

Netizens react

Soon after the toss, fans flooded X (formerly known as Twitter) to state how happy they were seeing the player is fit. CSK fans especially started pouring in their support for their team's skipper.

One said, "Our Captain Ruturaj Gaikwad is fit"

Our Captain Ruturaj Gaikwad is fit #CSKvDC pic.twitter.com/ekCP8VnnSf

— Pintu Dera (@pintudera_) April 5, 2025

Another said, "CAPTAIN RUTURAJ GAIKWAD IS FULLY FIT & PLAYING TODAY'S MATCH..!!!!"

CAPTAIN RUTURAJ GAIKWAD IS FULLY FIT & PLAYING TODAY'S MATCH..!!!!#CSKvsDC

— stewie😎 (@PRAJWAL_00021) April 5, 2025

One wrote, "Good news for CSK fans, as Ruturaj Gaikwad is fit for the game".  

Good news for CSK fans, as Ruturaj Gaikwad is fit for the game. #CSKvsDC #IPL2025 #tarrifs pic.twitter.com/1UElMk3xHm

— Suna_Hai (@Suna_Hai_Ki) April 5, 2025

About CSK vs DC

Just three games into the tournament, the pressure is already mounting on CSK. They defeat to RCB they faced at home shook them, and their loss to RR in Guwahati only further exposed weaknesses in their lineup. 

In contrast, Delhi Capitals are riding high with two wins in two. They edged past LSG in a thrilling opener, and followed it up with a dominant performance against last season's runners-up, Sunrisers Hyderabad. 

Teams 

Delhi Capitals (Playing XI): Jake Fraser-McGurk, KL Rahul(w), Abishek Porel, Tristan Stubbs, Sameer Rizvi, Axar Patel(c), Ashutosh Sharma, Vipraj Nigam, Mitchell Starc, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohit Sharma
Impact Subs: Mukesh Kumar, Karun Nair, Darshan Nalkande, Donovan Ferreira, Tripurana Vijay. 

Chennai Super Kings (Playing XI): Rachin Ravindra, Devon Conway, Ruturaj Gaikwad(c), Vijay Shankar, Ravindra Jadeja, MS Dhoni(w), Ravichandran Ashwin, Noor Ahmad, Mukesh Choudhary, Khaleel Ahmed, Matheesha Pathirana
Impact Subs: Shivam Dube, Jamie Overton, Shaik Rasheed, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Nathan Ellis 

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