Deshpande replaced right-arm fast bowler Avesh Khan in the line-up.
Clips from CSK's first two matches show Dhoni actively involved in setting the field, leading to questions about Gaikwad's authority as the new leader.
The 42-year-old, who last played for India in 2019, had undergone a knee surgery last year.
Pat Cummins has underlined the importance of having an experienced bowling unit, especially in a high-pressure tournament like the IPL.
Kamindu Mendis soared - quite literally - to deliver a moment that could well define Sunrisers Hyderabad's IPL 2025 campaign.
K L Rahul set the stage with a stylish 77, but 20-year-old Vipraj Nigam's fearless spell in front of a stadium full of CSK fans truly turned the tide.
Ahead of the 18th season of Indian Premier League, here all the stats and numbers from the annual cricket extravaganza.
Suryakumar Yadav will captain Mumbai Indians in their opening IPL match against Chennai Super Kings on Sunday
Jadeja, Deshpande, Fizz were CSK's stars on Monday.
'The support is phenomenal. But, as you go on and play, then you realise they are MS Dhoni fans before they are CSK fans.'
Matheesha Pathirana returned to Sri Lanka to recover from a hamstring injury.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni doesn't have a magic wand and can't change the fortunes of Chennai Super Kings overnight, head coach Stephen Fleming said on Sunday.
Royal Challengers Bangalor will attempt to break a 17-year jinx at the Chepauk stadium when they face Chennai Super Kings in the IPL match on Friday.
Chennai Super Kings head coach Stephen Fleming said they deserve to finish at the bottom of the table but promised to come back with "strong ideas".
CSK skipper M S Dhoni turned to Ahmed despite the impressive Anshul Kamboj (3-0-25-0) having one over remaining, but the left-arm quick wilted under Romario Shepherd's assault.
'The holes that CSK will try to fill are ones of captaincy, which I believe Ruturaj Gaikwad is going to take over.'
With SRH qualifying with just a point, the CSK vs RCB game has become a knockout match.
Ravindra Jadeja's superb all-rounder show powered Chennai Super Kings to a thumping 28-run victory against Punjab Kings.
CSK captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni said in a tournament like IPL, losing a few games on the bounce can make comebacks a bit tough.
Chennai Super Kings captain MS Dhoni said he will decide on his IPL future after working hard for 6-8 months and assessing whether his body can cope with the demands of the game.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni told Ruturaj Gaikwad to be prepared for Chennai Super Kings captaincy back in 2022
Virat Kohli and Shivam Dubes shared a lighthearted moment, breaking into laughter over a joke during the practice session.
Having joined the franchise in 2019, Gaikwad has established himself in the team but leading the side will be a massive challenge.
Ruturaj Gaikwad played a match-winning innings, but don't forget Shivam Dube, Sunil Narine and Angkrish Raghuvanshi's entertaining cameos.
CSK head coach Stephen Fleming said Mahendra Singh Dhoni is 'still going strong' and putting an end to the former skipper's run in the IPL is not a role assigned to him.
CSK's surprising decision to send Mahendra Singh Dhoni to bat at No 9 during their run chase against RCB has drawn sharp criticism from former cricketers and fans.
This is the first time that Mahendra Singh Dhoni's parents Pan Singh and Devika Devi have attended a match in the stadium to watch him play.
Mumbai Indians fell 15 to 20 runs short after being put to bat by the Super Kings. They struggled to stitch up significant partnerships and settled for 155/9.
For Finch, it echoed one of the several moments where his former side just didn't click.
It was a meeting of Chennai's finest when Ravichandran Ashwin met World Chess Champion D Gukesh at the M A Chidambaram stadium.
Smarting from back-to-back defeats, defending champions Chennai Super Kings will be desperate to return to winning ways when they face a formidable but bruised Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL match in Chennai on Sunday.
A look at the best bowling performances in the CSK vs RCB match.
'Great start for RCB and it really is looking good. We are not going into the space of, 'Is this the year (RCB will win the IPL)?'
Dhoni returns to the hallowed turf of Wankhede for the first time as non-captain of CSK, potentially in his last IPL season. It will also be his first appearance just as a player for any team since November 2005.
Did you enjoy Maheesh Patheerana's fiery yorkers?
K L Rahul's diving catch was one of the highlights of LSG's fine showing against CSK.
Srinivas Bhogle and Purnendu Maji present Rediff's Most Valuable Player Index of IPL 2025 after Game 68.
While CSK dropped as many as five catches, a couple of them sitters, Punjab were not too far behind as they floored four chances.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni was the centre of attention as Chennai Super Kings hits the nets in Chennai on Monday.
All the 10 teams are involved in a lot of back and forth with their overseas recruits over their arrival plans in India a day after the IPL announced the revised schedule following necessary security clearances from the government.
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