“However, he stated midway through the competition that he didn’t want to hand the job to Ruturaj,” Shastri added.
The choice of the Chennai Super Kings to hand over the captaincy before the Indian Premier League 2024 season officially begins has been discussed by former India head coach Ravi Shastri. According to Shastri, this decision hinged on MS Dhoni’s health and the team’s insistence that he participate in the current edition of the lucrative competition.
In Match 13, CSK takes on Delhi Capitals in their third group stage encounter on Sunday at the Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Stadium in Vizag. The reigning champions, who have yet to lose in the current competition, will want to keep up their winning ways when they take against the DC squad. Shastri added that Dhoni would let the lead batsman lead and step in only when required.
“It is quite evident that this is MS Dhoni’s final season. You know, only time will tell if he plays the entire season or not, depending on how his body handles everything. However, Shastri stated, as cited by News18, “I don’t want to give the job to Ruturaj halfway through the tournament.”
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“Be in the hot seat from the outside, I’m watching from the back, and if he (Ruturaj) needs some help, I’m here to help him out. However, I think MS will take more and more of the backseat and probably contribute just a little bit between the drinks break or something like that, compared to the year when Jadeja was captain,” he continued.
Under their new leadership, CSK hopes to preserve their old charm.
With a major surprise, the Super Kings began their campaign when top-order batsman Ruturaj Gaikwad took over as captain in place of the illustrious Dhoni. The franchise has changed the team’s leadership for the second time in a big way.
See Also: IPL Standings | Team Rankings | IPL Points Table 2024
In contrast to the last time, when Ravindra Jadeja was named captain in 2022, Gaikwad’s selection has produced positive outcomes, as the squad has defeated teams like Gujarat Titans and Royal Challengers Bengaluru. At the moment, CSK leads the standings with the greatest net run rate of +1.979.
