A day before the start of the IPL 2024 season, CSK dropped the bombshell news that MS Dhoni has stepped down as the team’s captain ahead of the IPL 2024 season.
CSK, on Thursday afternoon, announced that the 42-year-old has handed over the captaincy to opener Ruturaj Gaikwad, who has captained Maharashtra in domestic cricket.
CSK said in a statement: “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.”
This meant that MS Dhoni’s last IPL match as a captain was the IPL 2023 final against Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad. This stepping down from the on-field captaincy role by Dhoni is also a massive indication that the Ranchi-born may have decided that this year’s tournament could be his last.
It also brings an end to MS Dhoni’s long captaincy tenure at CSK and in the IPL – apart from CSK, he also led Rising Pune Supergiant for one season in 2016. Dhoni has captained in 226 IPL matches from 2008 to 2023, out of which his teams won 133 games and lost 91, winning five IPL trophies and making the most number of playoff appearances.
Fans got emotional and paid tributes to MS Dhoni:
CSK CEO Kasi Viswanatham said, “I got to know of the decision just before the captain’s meeting. You have to respect his decision, it is his call – Whatever Dhoni does, it is in the best interest of the team”.
Gaikwad’s first game as the CSK captain will be on Friday evening at Chepauk against RCB.
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