Ruturaj Gaikwad's hopes of steering Chennai Super Kings out of turbulent waters were crushed by a stroke of misfortune on Thursday, as the CSK skipper was ruled out of the remainder of IPL 2025 due to a hairline fracture in his elbow, sustained during their match against Rajasthan Royals.

As the CSK grappled with a four-match losing streak, the injury came as a major blow, given that Gaikwad remained one of CSK's primary batters in a lineup that has been struggling to chase targets this year.

Head coach Stephen Fleming confirmed Gaikwad's unavailability in the pre-match press conference ahead of their clash with Kolkata Knight Riders at the MA Chidambaram Stadium.

The 28-year-old Gaikwad took to CSK's social media to express his disappointment and gratitude. "I am really gutted to miss the rest of the IPL due to an unfortunate elbow injury. I want to thank everyone for your support so far, it truly means a lot," he said in a heartfelt video message.

https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?creatorScreenName=Dailyhuntapp&dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-14&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1910380800547213330&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fm.dailyhunt.in%2Fnews%2Findia%2Fenglish%2Ffor%2Byou%3Flaunch%3Dtrue%26mode%3Dpwa&sessionId=6c502b96f50d76c895ca94d71a92e6c257b38859&siteScreenName=Dailyhuntapp&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px

CSK's campaign has veered off course since their opening win against Mumbai Indians. Now languishing in ninth place on the points table with just two points and a negative net run rate of -0.889, they desperately needed the stability and runs Gaikwad offers at the top.

Gaikwad on Dhoni

In his absence, Gaikwad is placing his faith in Dhoni - CSK's beloved talisman - and on a light-hearted note, labelled him the "young wicketkeeper" who will lead the side.

"Yes, it's been a challenging season, but we've got a young wicketkeeper leading the team now, and hopefully things will turn around. I'll be right there with the squad, supporting them from the dugout," he said with a smile.

"I would've loved to help lift the team out of this situation, but some things are simply out of our control. Looking forward to backing the boys for the rest of the campaign, here's to a strong finish to the season," Gaikwad added.

With their back against the wall, the return of Dhoni to the helm might just be the lift CSK need to ignite a turnaround.