As of 9 August 2026, Ruturaj Gaikwad is the captain of Chennai Super Kings (CSK). He has been leading the team as full-time captain since the 2024 IPL season, succeeding MS Dhoni.
So far, 4 players have captained CSK in the IPL. Dhoni remains the franchise’s most successful captain, guiding the side to 5 championship titles. Here is a look at the complete list of players who have captained CSK from 2008 to 2026.
Who Is the Current Captain of CSK?
Ruturaj Gaikwad is the current captain of Chennai Super Kings. He was appointed as the franchise’s permanent captain ahead of the IPL 2024 season on March 21, the day before CSK’s season opener. He succeeded the former leader, MS Dhoni, as part of CSK’s long-term leadership transition.
Gaikwad is the team’s permanent captain, although Dhoni did make a return in 2025, when Ruturaj was ruled out with an injury. Gaikwad again resumed his leadership role ahead of the 2026 Indian Premier League.
In IPL matches as CSK captain, Gaikwad has led the team in 33 matches, recording 14 wins and 19 losses, with a win percentage of 42.42%. With the team undergoing a transition phase, the management decided to opt for him as the franchise’s long-term leader for the post-Dhoni era, considering his potential.
CSK Captain List from 2008 to 2027
| IPL season | Appointed captain | Other match captains | Captaincy note |
| 2008 | MS Dhoni | None | First captain;led the team to the finals in the inaugural season |
| 2009 | MS Dhoni | None | Led the team to the semi-finals |
| 2010 | MS Dhoni | Suresh Raina | Led the team to its first IPL title. |
| 2011 | MS Dhoni | None | Led the team to its second IPL title |
| 2012 | MS Dhoni | None | Led the team to its 3rd consecutive IPL final |
| 2013 | MS Dhoni | None | Led the team to its 4th consecutive IPL final |
| 2014 | MS Dhoni | None | Led the team to the play-offs for 7th consecutive time |
| 2015 | MS Dhoni | None | Led the side to its 6th IPL final |
| 2016 | None | None | CSK did not participate in the IPL |
| 2017 | None | None | CSK did not participate in the IPL |
| 2018 | MS Dhoni | None | Led the team to its third IPL title |
| 2019 | MS Dhoni | Suresh Raina | Led the team to its 7th IPL final |
| 2020 | MS Dhoni | None | Failed to guide the team to the playoffs for the first time in IPL history |
| 2021 | MS Dhoni | None | Led the team to its fourth IPL trophy |
| 2022 (First Half) | Ravindra Jadeja | MS Dhoni | Jadeja led the first eight matches before Dhoni returned for the final six |
| 2023 | MS Dhoni | None | Led the team to its fifth IPL trophy |
| 2024 | Ruturaj Gaikwad | None | Took over the role as the new captain, succeeding MS Dhoni |
| 2025 | Ruturaj Gaikwad | MS Dhoni | Dhoni resumed the captaincy mid-season as Ruturaj was ruled out due to injury |
| 2026 | Ruturaj Gaikwad | None | Failed to guide the team to the play-offs for the third consecutive time |
| 2027 | Ruturaj Gaikwad | – | Ruturaj Gaikwad remains CSK’s current captain as of 9 August 2026, but the IPL 2027 captain has not been formally announced. |
Every Player Who Has Captained CSK
| Captain | Seasons as captain | Role | Matches | Wins | Losses | No Result/Tie | Win percentage | IPL titles |
| MS Dhoni | 2008-20152018-20222023-2025 | Permanent Captain, Stand-in captain(2025) | 219 | 131 | 85 | 3 | 59.82% | 5 |
| Suresh Raina | 2010,2019 | Stand-in Captain | 5 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 20% | 0 |
| Ravindra Jadeja | 2022 | Permanent Captain(First-half of the season) | 8 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 25% | 0 |
| Ruturaj Gaikwad | 2024-2026 | Permanent Captain | 33 | 14 | 19 | 0 | 42.42% | 0 |
Statistics cover IPL matches only and are updated through IPL 2026.
Former CSK Captains
MS Dhoni
MS Dhoni captained CSK from 2008-2015 and 2018-2023, with a brief return in 2025 mid-season. He was the captain for CSK’s final nine matches of IPL 2025 after Gaikwad was ruled out with an elbow injury.
Dhoni emerged as the franchise’s first captain in 2008, considering the strong leadership skills he displayed during his stint with the Indian cricket team. Dhoni led Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League in 219 matches, winning 131 and losing 85, with three contests ending in no result. MS Dhoni remains CSK’s most successful captain, guiding the team to 5 IPL championships.
Suresh Raina
Suresh Raina served as CSK’s stand-in captain when Dhoni was unavailable. As one of the team’s most experienced players and considering his close cricketing bond with Dhoni, he was a natural choice to lead the side. He captained CSK for four matches, three in 2010 and one in 2019, winning only 1 match, while losing 3.
Ravindra Jadeja
Ravindra Jadeja captained Chennai Super Kings in 2022, taking over the role from Dhoni as part of a planned leadership transition. As one of the team’s most experienced players and a long-standing CSK member, he was seen as the natural next leader after Dhoni. He led the side in 8 matches, winning 2 and losing 6. Following the team’s poor results, Jadeja stepped down from the captaincy, with Dhoni resuming the role again for the second half of the season.
FAQs
Who is the current captain of Chennai Super Kings?
Ruturaj Gaikwad is the current captain of Chennai Super Kings.
How many players have captained CSK?
Four players have captained CSK: MS Dhoni, Suresh Raina, Ravindra Jadeja and Ruturaj Gaikwad.
Who captained CSK in 2022?
Ravindra Jadeja began the 2022 IPL season as captain for CSK, leading for 8 matches. Following the team’s poor performance, he stepped down from the role, with Dhoni returning as the side’s full-time captain for the second half of the season.
Which CSK captain has won the most IPL titles?
MS Dhoni has won the most IPL championships as CSK captain, with five titles.
