- Thursday, May 09, 2024
The 42-year-old wicket-keeper-batter was replaced by Ruturaj Gaikwad, who made his debut for Chennai in IPL in 2020.
By: Shubham Ghosh
THE 2024 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) stole the headlines even before the first ball was bowled for something that not many had expected.
On the eve of the first match of the tournament, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni “handed” over the reins to opening batter Ruturaj Gaikwad in a decision that took many by surprise. Speculation was also rife that the 42-year-old keeper-batter’s parting with the captaincy meant this could well be his final appearance in the tournament which he has been playing since the inaugural edition in 2008.
The IPL made the announcement on X ahead of the opening clash between CSK and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in Chennai, their home ground. The franchise, who won the crown last year and five times in total — all under Dhoni’s captaincy — also issued a brief statement soon after.
Presenting @ChennaiIPL's Captain – @Ruutu1331 🙌🙌#TATAIPL pic.twitter.com/vt77cWXyBI
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) March 21, 2024
Read: IPL 2024: Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant in spotlight
“MS Dhoni has handed over Chennai Super Kings’ captaincy to Ruturaj Gaikwad ahead of the start of TATA IPL 2024. Ruturaj has been an integral part of Chennai Super Kings since 2019 and has played 52 matches in IPL during this period. The team looks forward to the upcoming season,” CSK said.
It also thanked Dhoni for his service in another X post.
Thala MS Dhoni hands over captaincy to Ruturaj Gaikwad. #WhistlePodu #Yellove #IPL2024 pic.twitter.com/ZbuKGi01UG
— Chennai Super Kings Fans (@CskIPLTeam) March 21, 2024
It was said that the franchise was looking for a smooth transition in leadership as speculation about Dhoni’s retirement was high. The former India captain, who won for his country the 2007 Twenty20 World Cup and 2011 ICC World Cup, last played international cricket for India in 2019, in the semi-final of the 50-over World Cup in England.
Thank you Captain MS Dhoni 💛 #IPL2024 #WhistlePodu pic.twitter.com/dAXkemwPCo
— Chennai Super Kings Fans (@CskIPLTeam) March 21, 2024
Read: A good IPL 2024 can earn KL Rahul a T20 World Cup slot: Lucknow coach Langer
Dhoni has played 250 matches in the IPL till date, scoring more than 5,000 runs at a strike rate of nearly 136.
Gaikwad, on the other hand, made his debut for CSK in 2020 and has gone on to represent the team in 52 games.
CSK CEO Kasi Viswanathan said he learned about the development just ahead of the captains’ meeting. Speaking to news agency Press Trust of India, he said, “Whatever Dhoni does, it is in the best interest of the team. I got to know of the decision just before the captains’ meeting. You have to respect his decision, it is his call.”
Gaikwad, a stylish opener who has played white-ball cricket for India, had a memorable run last year, aggregating 590 runs in 16 games at an impressive strike rate of 147.50. His breakout year was 2021 when he amassed 635 runs in 16 games.
The 27-year-old from Maharashtra is not new to captaincy, having led the Indian team to the gold medal in the Asian Games last year. He has also led his state side Maharashtra.
CSK and Dhoni share an unbreakable bond and the World Cup-winning captain is expected to keep a significant role in the franchise going forward, albeit not as a player.
CSK had attempted the leadership transition even in the 2022 edition but it did not work out with Ravindra Jadeja handing back the captaincy duties to Dhoni after eight games.
“It didn’t work out at that time, this is different,” said Viswanathan.
In a media interaction later on Thursday, head coach Stephen Fleming added, “We weren’t ready to move away from MS in 2022. Dhoni has a good sense of the game, but we want to develop the young players for the role. We are well prepared this time.” Dhoni officially announced his retirement from international cricket on August 15, 2020 but his engagement in IPL remained intact.
The 42-year-old, who played with a dodgy knee last season, underwent a surgery after leading CSK to their fifth title.
Due to his knee issues, Dhoni pushed himself down to number 8 in the batting order last season but after regaining full fitness, he is expected to bat higher up this edition.
Former India pacer Irfan Pathan met Dhoni recently and claimed that the latter appears to be in good shape following the knee surgery.
“Last year, Dhoni said he was giving a gift to his fans with his cricket. I met with him a few days ago, he was playing pickleball for two hours non-stop. His knee was as fit as it ever was. It’s an exciting time for fans; he now has his vintage old look. Will we get the vintage old Dhoni too?” Pathan asked on Star Sports.
“His role has changed in the past two years. He comes in lower-order, plays lesser deliveries but hits the big shots, the strike rate is high. It’s a small innings but a memorable one. I think there won’t be much of a change in that this year. He will continue to play that role,” said Pathan.
Besides stellar success in the IPL, Dhoni led CSK to two titles in the defunct Champions League. CSK made as many as 10 finals under Dhoni’s captaincy. If one includes his 14 games for Rising Pune Supergiant, that extends his IPL captaincy tenure to 226 IPL games with Rohit Sharma being a distant second (158 games).
With Dhoni expected to play the whole season, Gaikwad will have the luxury to lean on the charismatic cricketer in pressure situations.
(With PTI inputs)
