Ahead of the 15th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), Mahendra Singh Dhoni has handed over the captaincy of the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) to Ravindra Jadeja. The big news comes just two days before CSK play their first game of the season against Kolkata Knight Riders in Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium.
Dhoni is considered the best captain in the tournament’s history, whose success is likely to remain unmatched. The wicketkeeper batsman, who was been with CSK since 2008, has led them to 4 titles in 12 seasons, and to the playoffs in every single season except 2020. After a disappointing campaign in 2020, CSK roared back to form to clinch their fourth title in IPL 2021 after defeating Kolkata Knight Riders in the final.
"MS Dhoni has decided to hand over the leadership of Chennai Super Kings and picked Ravindra Jadeja to lead the team," stated an official CSK release. "Dhoni will continue to represent Chennai Super Kings this season and beyond," the release added. Jadeja, who has been a match-winner for the team since joining them in 2012, will only be the third player to lead CSK. Suresh Raina had briefly captained the side for a few games in Dhoni’s absence.
Ahead of the auction, CSK retained Jadeja for Rs 16 crore, MS Dhoni for Rs 12 crore, Moeen Ali for Rs 8 crore and Ruturaj Gaikwad for Rs 6 crore. They brought back five of their former players in Deepak Chahar, Robin Uthappa, Ambati Rayudu, Mitchell Santner and Dwayne Bravo.MS Dhoni’s form with the bat has largely waned over the last few seasons. With the added responsibility of captaincy now off his shoulders, Dhoni will be looking to unleash the finisher in him one more season before he calls it quits.
Image credit : BCCI/IPL
