Chennai Super Kings pulled off a massive surprise ahead of their opening match of IPL 2024 against Royal Challengers Bangalore at M Chidabaram Stadium in Chepauk on Friday, March 22.
CSK officially announced that their legendary skipper MS Dhoni decided to step down from the leadership role and handed over captaincy duties to Ruturaj Gaikwad ahead of the IPL 2024 opener. This indeed came as a huge surprise as many believed that Dhoni would be leading Chennai Super Kings for one last time in the forthcoming IPL season.
MS Dhoni was the first captain of Chennai Super Kings and led the team to five IPL titles in 2010, 2011, 2018, 2021 and 2023, making him the joint-most successful captain alongside former Mumbai Indians skipper Rohit Sharma in the history of IPL.
Ruturaj Gaikwad is the third captain after MS Dhoni and Ravindra Jadeja to lead the most successful team in the history of Indian Premier League. Jadeja took over the captaincy reins of CSK from Dhoni ahead of IPL 2022 but stepped down in midway of the tournament due to a series of losses and handed back the leadership duties to Dhoni.
MS Dhoni to retire after IPL 2024?
Following the change in captaincy duty by Chennai Super Kings ahead of IPL 2024, the question once again popped up whether is this going to be the last season of cash-rich T20 league for MS Dhoni.
The retirement of Dhoni made rounds in the last IPL season as well but after CSK won the joint-record fifth IPL triumph, the legend himself said that he will be returning to the next season (IPL 2024) as a gift to the fans who have been supporting him over the years.
A few months before IPL 2024, there have been rumours that Dhoni is likely to play his last season. The massive news by Chennai Super Kings ignited speculations over MS Dhoni's future in T20 cricket.
With a change in CSK captaincy, it is safe to say that MS Dhoni might have decided to call it quits from his T20 career after IPL 2024. As a captain, the CSK legend left a huge void that will be difficult to fill.
The legacy of MS Dhoni as a Chennai Super Kings skipper over the last 15 years will serve as a testimony to his unmatchable leadership and shrewd tactical brilliance as he consistently pushed his team to strive for excellence and strengthened a culture of resilience, earning him a legendary status in the annals of IPL history.
Leading a team in 14 seasons and to over 100 wins in IPL is an arduous task but MS Dhoni's exceptional skills and cool-headed demeanour have made it effortless. Dhoni is the most successful captain in the IPL history with 133 wins in 226 matches since 2008.
Ruturaj Gaikwad steps into MS Dhoni's shoes
Ruturaj Gaikwad will step into the huge shoes left by MS Dhoni when Chennai Super Kings take on Royal Challengers Bangalore in Chepauk on March 22. Gaikwad has been associated with CSK since 2019 and guided by Dhoni with whom he played in five IPL seasons.
A change of guard by Chennai Super Kings indicates that the franchise is looking at the future starting from IPL 2024 and is placing its faith in Ruturaj Gaikwad to carry on leadership mantle held by MS Dhoni.
This won't be the first time that Ruturaj Gaikwad will lead a team in his career. The 27-year-old has excellent captaincy credentials as he is a skipper of Maharashtra team in domestic cricket. It remains to be seen how Gaikwad can translate his domestic cricket captaincy experience into success in the IPL.
