A day fans never wanted to come! India’s and IPL’s most successful skipper, MS Dhoni, has decided to step down as CSK captain after 16 years. The legendary wicketkeeper batter was the only remaining captain to lead a side in every edition of the league, but he has finally decided to pass the baton to Ruturaj Gaikwad.
The change was expected, with former Chennai Super Kings player Ambati Rayudu indicating that we might see Captain Cool coming in as an impact player and Ruturaj taking the reigns for IPL 2024. Now, the franchise has confirmed that Thala has stepped down before the start of the season. The statement read:
“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.“
What awaits MS Dhoni in IPL 2024 after stepping down as CSK captain?
Dhoni’s stepping down as captain is an indication that he might be nearing his end as a cricketer. Fans were unsure whether Dhoni would continue to play after he injured his knee last year. However, the wicketkeeper batter expressed that he’d like to continue playing despite being 42.
“Circumstantially, if you see, this is the best time for me to announce my retirement. But the amount of love and affection that I have been shown wherever I have been this year, the easy thing for me to say would be ’thank you very much’. But the tough thing for me is to work hard for another nine months and come back and play at least one more season of the IPL.” He expressed the desire to play at CSK’s home ground one last time after winning the IPL 2023 Final.
Dhoni had already hinted at what was going to happen, and his fans will now cherish every moment they have felt. One only hope remains: that Ruturaj Gaikwad sends MS Dhoni into retirement with a trophy to his name.
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