'Let's Not Forget They're...': Chris Gayle Confident CSK Will Bounce Back After Horror Start
Chennai Super Kings have endured five successive defeats for the first time in their IPL history.
The IPL 2025 so far has been nothing short of a nightmare for five-time champions Chennai Super Kings. The CSK season though began on a promising note as they got the better of Mumbai Indians in their opening match. Since then, they have lost five games in a row and currently find themselves languishing at the bottom of the IPL points table.
Their regular captain Ruturaj Gaikwad has been ruled out from the remainder of the season due to an elbow fracture and the veteran MS Dhoni, the man who guided them to five IPL trophies, has been put in charge, again.
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Despite their frailties, the return of Dhoni as the captain must’ve come as a boost given his track record. However, his first game in charge since stepping down as the captain ahead of IPL 2024, didn’t go as per plan with CSK posting their lowest ever total in a home game.
IPL legend Chris Gayle though has fired a warning shot at CSK naysayers pointing out their trophy cabinet as he expressed confidence in the ability of Dhoni and head coach Stephen Fleming to trigger a revival.
“Yes, things haven’t clicked for CSK this season. But let’s not forget – they’re five-time champions. You can never count them out. They’ve got two sharp minds in Stephen Fleming and MS Dhoni. Those two know how to build and rebuild a team. I’m sure they’ll find a way to bounce back," Gayle was quoted as saying by MyKhel.
Recently, CSK coach Stephen Fleming has dismissed any unreal expectations of a magical turnaround with Dhoni’ return at the helm.
“His (Dhoni’s) influence will be always prominent but he’s not a soothsayer, he hasn’t got a magic wand," Fleming said. “He can’t just rub it over the side otherwise he would have brought it out earlier."
“It’s a case of us working very hard along with MS to turn it around and certainly in both of our cricketing careers, we’ve been in situations that require a lot of energy and we’ve got to make sure that the energy is put in the right place. There’s a lot of hurt that we can turn to motivation but it’s not about words, it’s about players grabbing the moment, finding form, finding their groove and almost shaking off any apprehension which can creep in," he added.
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