With Dhoni back as captain, CSK seek balance

Injury to Gaikwad leaves the five-time champions with little choice as they opt for the 43-year-old star mid season

- SWAROOP SWAMINATHAN @Chennai

ON Thursday morning, the masses in the city and elsewhere in the state geared up to pay their obeisance to 'thala' to watch the Ajith Kumar starrer 'Good Bad Ugly', in the theatres. Even before the harsh summer sun had died on Thursday evening, the masses were trying to source tickets to watch their other 'thala'. It didn't matter that Chennai Super Kings are officially in a crisis having lost four games on the spin. The atmosphere inside the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Friday night, for the visit of the holders, Kolkata Knight Riders, will be like inside a mosh pit because of the return of MS Dhoni in a captaincy role for the first time since the IPL final in 2023.