Who Will Lead CSK In IPL 2026? MS Dhoni Reveals, Its Not Him
'We are slightly worried about our batting order. But I think our batting order is quite sorted out now. Rutu (Gaikwad) will be coming back. He got injured. But he will be coming back. So, we are quite sorted now,' Dhoni said, hinting at CSK's plans to retain the young opener.
The former Indian captain also addressed the upcoming mini-auction scheduled for December, suggesting that the franchise will look to reinforce specific areas.
'I won't say we (CSK) slacked off (in IPL 2025). But there were certain holes that we needed to plug in. A small auction is coming in December. Some loopholes are there, and we will try to plug those in,' he added.
Dhoni was candid about the team's underwhelming performance over the past two seasons. He emphasized the importance of identifying weaknesses and taking corrective measures to move forward.
'Yes, the last couple of years have not been good for us. We have not been up to the mark. But what is important is for you to see the learnings. Yes, you had a bad season. But what went wrong? And that was the question for us last year also.
'We were like, okay, there are some shortcomings. But first we needed to exactly figure out what were the shortcomings and then look at solutions,' he said.
Dhoni concluded by expressing gratitude to the CSK fans and reflected on the team's long-standing success.
'I feel more often than not we have been able to figure out what exactly went wrong. In sports, you know you can have a very good time and at the same time there will be periods when you won't be performing well. In CSK, more often than not, we are on the higher side.
'So, we do talk about the processes. But at the same time we do want the result to come to our side. Last year it (result) wasn't there. But looking ahead, we will try to sort out most of the things and we will hopefully be at our best,' he concluded.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
10 minutes ago
- First Post
‘Cricket doesn't stop for anyone!': Pathan's bold take after Oval triumph has fans suspecting of a jibe at Virat Kohli
Former India cricketer Irfan Pathan has commented on India's incredible win at The Oval, and reiterated a fact that is valid for the entire sports realm. read more India's tour of England invariably garners scores of eyeballs; this time, the occasion was different. As the series was taking place in the wake of a massive transition in Indian cricket, the entire cricket world had tuned in to witness how a young Indian side, sans Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, would fare in the testing conditions of England. The degree of pressure shot a notch higher as India had continuously endured a terrible run in the longest format of the game since last year. As the chips were down and the odds were considerably against, and faced the challenge with grit and determination. The team did not buckle under pressure and made a comeback twice in the five-match series. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD They lost the series opener at Headingley, but came back with a reverberating 336-run win at Edgbaston. They suffered a heartbreaking loss at the Lord's, but then left a statement of defiance in Manchester by sealing an epic draw. Subsequently, they fetched a 6-run victory in the final contest of the series. It was a roller-coaster of a ride, and in the end, the pendulum swung in India's favour, as they managed to conclude the series on a high. On paper, the series ended two-all, but given how relentlessly they battled throughout the last month and a half, it is a psychological victory in every aspect. Irfan Pathan posts a bold statement after India's win at The Oval Noting the achievement of the new-age Indian team, former India cricketer Irfan Pathan has left a cryptic message on social media. 'This series reminds everyone once again, CRICKET DOESN'T STOP FOR ANYONE!' This series reminds everyone once again CRICKET DOESN'T STOP FOR ANYONE! — Irfan Pathan (@IrfanPathan) August 4, 2025 Fans in the comment section of the post suspect that the words could be directed at the recently retired stalwart of Indian cricket- Virat Kohli- or Jasprit Bumrah, who did not feature in the final game owing to an injury. Pathan taking digs at Kohli now ? — The last dance (@26lastdance) August 4, 2025 STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Bumrah cooked — Yash Rathi (@YashRathi1845) August 4, 2025 As sports is an ever-evolving field, where greats come and eventually go, Pathan's words carry a great deal of fact. However, who the message is targeted at will remain a mystery.
NDTV
10 minutes ago
- NDTV
'Not Young But Gun Team': Gautam Gambhir's Message Revealed After Win In 5th Test Against England
Indian cricket team skipper Shubman Gill revealed the fiery message from head coach Gautam Gambhir that motivated them during the Test series against England. It was a stunning show from the visitors as Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna were the top performers as India registered a six-run win to level the five-match Test series 2-2. With Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma announcing their Test retirements and Jasprit Bumrah missing the Test due to workload management, it was a young team under a new captain that achieved a massive feat in England. Gill said that Gambhir wanted them to not think of themselves as a 'young team' but a 'gun team' that is capable of pulling off these kind of significant results. "We had the option of taking the new ball, but the way they were bowling, we thought they could do the job. We had wicket-taking options. We wanted them to score 30 singles; we knew they were under pressure. We wanted to take the game deep. The way Brook and Root were going, not many teams in the world would have been given a chance," Gill told reporters after victory. "Thinking about other players put less pressure on me because I was focused on everyone, not just myself. That helped. Gautam Gambhir told us not to think of ourselves as a young team, but as a gun team," he added. Following his side's series draw against England, Indian skipper Shubman Gill hailed pacer Mohammed Siraj, the leading wicket-taker of the series, calling him a "captain's dream." Siraj's inspirational spell during the fifth and final Test was perhaps the biggest reason why Team India left the England shores with their heads held high and the series scoreline. He took a total of 23 wickets in the series at an average of 32.43, with best figures of 6/70. In the final Test, he took a total of nine wickets, including a five-wicket haul in the second innings. While defending 374, India was in trouble with England at 301/3 at one point, but along with Prasidh Krishna, Siraj bowled relentlessly, pulling back the match ball-by-ball, wicket-by-wicket. Speaking during the post-match presentation, Gill said, "He (Siraj) is a captain's dream. Coming in five Test matches, every ball, every spell that he bowled gave his all, and every captain, every team wants a player like him. We are very fortunate to have him in that team."
Hindustan Times
10 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
'We will never surrender': Gautam Gambhir's defiant roar as India leave Bazball empire in ruins with Oval heist
Gautam Gambhir has been a man under pressure since the start of his tenure as India head coach in July last year. The Champions Trophy win did little to ease the scrutiny, with critics sharpening their knives over his red-ball methodology — especially after the unprecedented home whitewash against New Zealand last November and the subsequent Border-Gavaskar Trophy series loss to Australia. India drew the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2-2 against England. But the former India opener heaved a sigh of relief on Monday as the Shubman Gill-led side pulled off an epic heist at The Oval, levelling the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2-2. Mohammed Siraj picked up a five-wicket haul, while Prasidh Krishna claimed four as India silenced a rampant England. After centuries from Harry Brook and Joe Root took the hosts to within 73 runs of a record win with seven wickets in hand, the Indian pacers triggered a stunning collapse — grabbing the final seven wickets for just 66 runs to leave Bazball in ruins. Following the win, Gambhir took to social media to let out a defiant roar. He tweeted: "We'll win some, we'll lose some…. but we'll NEVER surrender! Well done boys!" Under Gambhir's reign, India managed just one Test series win — against Bangladesh at home in September — before losing six of their next eight matches in the format, including a forgettable 0-3 whitewash by New Zealand. Although India bounced back with a win in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy opener in Perth last November, they went on to lose three of the remaining four Tests in the series. Gambhir's red-ball woes deepened with a five-wicket loss in Leeds in June. But the Gill-led side turned the tide with a historic 336-run triumph at Edgbaston. At Lord's, India fought hard, but narrowly fell short in a 22-run defeat. In Manchester, they refused to give in, forcing England to settle for a draw and keeping the series alive. The final chapter at The Oval initially echoed a familiar downfall, but India staged a defiant comeback to seal a famous 2-2 draw. Former India coach Sanjay Bangar underlined the significance of the result, particularly for Gambhir, given his tumultuous run. Speaking to JioHotstar, he said: "This is one of the special moments in the history of Indian cricket. This was a very important win for Gautam Gambhir as well."
