IPL 2025: Who will CSK sign to Replace Ruturaj Gaikwad? Three Players in the Race

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Amid the tumultuous start to the IPL 2025 season, Chennai Super Kings have suffered a huge blow as captain Ruturaj Gaikwad has been ruled out for the season.

Gaikwad, probably the best batter in the team, suffered an elbow injury and will not play any part for CSK for the remainder of this IPL edition.

"Unfortunately, Ruturaj Gaikwad is going to be ruled out of the tournament. He got hit in Guwahati. He's been operating with an amount of pain. We got an X-ray, which was inconclusive, and we had an MRI, which revealed a fracture in his elbow, so we're disappointed and feel for him," CSK coach Stephen Fleming said on Thursday.

With Gaikwad's departure, CSK have named veteran 'uncapped player' MS Dhoni as captain for the remainder. Although Dhoni's return as captain is a morale boost for them, Gaikwad's impending absence is a colossal distress.

With four defeats in the first five matches, the Super Kings are struggling and their batting has underperformed so far. And Ruturaj's absence has created a bigger void in the unit.

CSK called upon a few players for trial a few days ago, probably anticipating their captain's unavailability, but none have found a place so far. Kerala's Salman Nizar, Mumbai's Ayush Mhatre are some of the players whom were looked but a replacement is yet to be named. But Gaikwad's departure is now official, which means they may bring in one replacement soon. Here are three players who CSK can sign for the rest of the season.

Ayush Mhatre

Just 17, Ayush Mhatre is the talk of India's domestic cricket circles. The young opener from Mumbai has shown remarkable poise and consistency, averaging over 50 in List A cricket. While he is yet to play in the IPL, his technique and fearless strokeplay have marked him as a future star. If CSK are looking to groom the youngster, they can rope him in.

Mayank Agarwal

A veteran in domestic cricket and India, Mayank Agarwal is another option for Chennai Super Kings. The Karnataka player has a rich IPL experience as well and can be the solution at the top of the order. He remained unsold in the IPL auction but had a decent domestic outing last season. Chennai Super Kings, who have the knack of picking experienced campaigners, can resort to Mayank for their current issues.

Dewald Brevis

Dewald Brevis, the dynamic South African batter, presents a compelling option to fill the void left by Ruturaj Gaikwad in the CSK lineup. In the IPL, Brevis has accumulated 230 runs across 10 matches, maintaining a strike rate of 133.72.

His prowess was more pronounced in the SA20 2025 season, where he emerged as the sixth-highest run-scorer, amassing 291 runs at an impressive average of 48.50 and a striking rate of 184.18. The South African can be a good replacement for Gaikwad. And as the Super Kings still have one slot left for an overseas player, they can bring Brevis in.