IPL 2023: MS Dhoni Retirement – The stage is set. Thala Dhoni will play his farewell match on May 14 at the Chepauk Stadium in Chennai. As IPL 2023 Schedule was revealed on Friday, it set the stage for Dhoni’s final match. If CSK do not qualify for playoffs, he will play his final match against Kolkata Knight Riders. CSK will open their campaign against defending champions Gujarat Titans. Follow IPL 2023 LIVE Updates on InsideSport.IN.
“Yes, it will be MS’s last season as a player. That is what we know so far. But of course, it’s his decision. He hasn’t officially communicated to the management that he will go into retirement. It is a special occasion for all CSK fans as IPL returns to Chennai. But it will be a sad moment if Dhoni plays his final season,” a CSK official told InsideSport.
IPL 2023: CSK official confirms MS Dhoni’s FAREWELL date, Thala Dhoni to play last IPL match at Chepauk vs KKR on May 14, Follow LIVE Updates
Dhoni has led CSK since the inaugural season in 2008. While he was away during the two-year suspension, he returned to lead the team once again. Last season, Dhoni handed over the captaincy reins to Ravindra Jadeja. However, it backfired as CSK had a tough time under Jadeja’s captaincy.
The former India captain took the captaincy back after just eight games but could not resurrect CSK’s campaign. This time, CSK will once again start favourites as Dhoni will aim to sign off on a high, delivering CSK their fifth IPL title. However, if CSK fail to qualify for the playoffs, May 14 will be his last home game against Kolkata Knight Riders at the Chepauk Stadium.
CSK Captaincy Dilemma: However, Dhoni’s retirement also creates a succession problem. While Ben Stokes is the frontrunner to succeed Dhoni, CSK are looking at two potential options in Ajinkya Rahane and Ruturaj Gaikwad. Stokes may not be available for the playoff stage as England play a Test against Ireland starting June 1.
While Dhoni will lead CSK this time, as the England Test captain, Stokes may face a similar situation in future IPL campaigns as well.
Who CSK captaincy options?
- Ben Stokes
- Ajinkya Rahane
- Ruturaj Gaikwad
CSK captaincy: Who will be MS Dhoni successor?
- MS Dhoni is confirmed to lead Yellow Army in IPL 2023.
- However, it’s the succession that creates a problem.
- CSK won’t go back to Ravindra Jadeja. Ben Stokes is the frontrunner with Ajinkya Rahane and Ruturaj Gaikwad also options.
- Gaikwad could be a long-term option. He will have inputs from Stephen Fleming besides MS Dhoni, Rahane and Stokes.
- With time by his side, CSK could explore Ruturaj as a future captain.
- Stokes with vast experience and natural leadership traits, is likely to lead CSK in IPL 2023.
- However, with Ben Stokes, CSK face two problems: his national commitments and history of injuries.
“Of course, we are very happy getting Ben Stokes. He is not just a match-winner but also a great leader. It’s MS’s call on who he will name his successor. With foreign players leading in IPL, there is always the problem of combination. Plus, all-rounders are always tricky customers to handle. If Ben doesn’t get an NOC next year, it will be a problem. So, one can never rule out a young Ruturaj,” a CSK official earlier told InsideSport.
Check CSK Full Schedule for IPL 2023:
Chennai Super Kings IPL 2023 squad: MS Dhoni (c), Devon Conway, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ambati Rayudu, Subhranshu Senapati, Moeen Ali, Shivam Dube, Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Dwaine Pretorius, Mitchell Santner, Ravindra Jadeja, Tushar Deshpande, Mukesh Chowdhary, Matheesha Pathirana, Simarjeet Singh, Deepak Chahar, Prashant Solanki, Maheesh Theekshana, Ajinkya Rahane, Ben Stokes, Shaik Rasheed, Nishant Sindhu, Kyle Jamieson, Ajay Mandal, Bhagath Varma.
IPL 2023: CSK official confirms MS Dhoni’s FAREWELL date, Thala Dhoni to play last IPL match at Chepauk vs KKR on May 14, Follow LIVE Updates
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