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MS Dhoni Hands Over CSK Captaincy to Ruturaj Gaikwad: A New Era Dawns in Chennai Super Kings

vishal singh
vishal singh

MS Dhoni led CSK for the majority of their IPL journey, with the exception of a short spell in 2022 when Ravindra Jadeja assumed the captaincy duties.

MS Dhoni hands over Chennai Super Kings captaincy to Ruturaj Gaikwad

The day before the inaugural match of IPL 2024, Ruturaj Gaikwad was announced as the new skipper of Chennai Super Kings. This announcement marked the conclusion of MS Dhoni’s extensive tenure as CSK’s captain, which commenced in the league’s inaugural season in 2008. However, it’s worth noting that Dhoni had temporarily relinquished the captaincy in 2022, during which Ravindra Jadeja assumed leadership responsibilities. Nevertheless, Jadeja’s captaincy tenure was short-lived, spanning only eight matches, after which Dhoni resumed his role as captain. Under Dhoni’s leadership in 2023, CSK clinched their fifth IPL title, bringing them level with the Mumbai Indians in terms of championship victories.

Many anticipated that the victory would mark the conclusion of Dhoni’s IPL journey, especially considering his retirement from international cricket after the 2019 World Cup. However, Dhoni expressed his commitment to return for another season if his physical condition permitted. Dealing with a persistent knee problem throughout the 2023 season, Dhoni underwent surgery shortly after the final match. Despite being 42 years old, he participated in CSK’s pre-season training camp in Chennai earlier this month.

MS Dhoni Hands Over CSK Captaincy To Ruturaj Gaikwad

Throughout his tenure, Dhoni served as captain for 235 out of CSK’s 249 matches across various competitions, guiding them to two Champions League T20 titles in addition to their five IPL titles in 2010, 2011, 2018, 2021, and 2023. Under Dhoni’s leadership, CSK demonstrated remarkable consistency, experiencing rare finishes outside the top four only in 2020 and 2022, while also making it to the final on ten occasions, including an impressive streak of four consecutive years from 2010 to 2013.

During CSK’s two-year suspension from the IPL in 2016 and 2017, Dhoni also captained Rising Pune Supergiant in 14 matches. In total, he led teams in 226 IPL matches, a record far surpassing that of Rohit Sharma (158) on the captaincy leaderboard.

The significant legacy left by Dhoni underscores the challenge facing Gaikwad as he assumes the captaincy role. Dhoni’s impressive IPL win-loss ratio of 1.461 ranks among the best, surpassed only by Hardik Pandya (2.444) and Steven Smith (1.470) among captains who have led teams in 20 or more matches, indicating the immense responsibility awaiting Gaikwad.

Since concluding the 2021 IPL season with an impressive tally of 635 runs, Ruturaj Gaikwad, aged 27, has emerged as a prime candidate to succeed Dhoni. Gaikwad, hailing from Maharashtra, has consistently showcased his batting prowess for CSK and has earned recognition on the cusp of India’s primary white-ball squads, having participated in 6 ODIs and 19 T20Is to date.

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