Chennai Super Kings CEO Kasi Viswanathan expressed surprise at MS Dhoni’s decision to step down as captain just before the IPL 2024 opener against Royal Challengers Bangalore.
The IPL 2024 season kicked off with a bombshell as MS Dhoni, the iconic captain of Chennai Super Kings (CSK), surprised everyone by passing on the captaincy torch to Ruturaj Gaikwad just before the tournament’s start. This unexpected move, announced moments before the captains’ photoshoot, left fans, experts, and CSK management in disbelief.
Dhoni’s decision marked the end of an era, in which he led CSK to five IPL titles. However, the 42-year-old acknowledged the importance of grooming new leaders, paving the way for Gaikwad.
READ ALSO | MS Dhoni Steps Down as CSK Skipper, Ruturaj Gaikwad Named as the New Captain
CSK CEO Kasi Viswanathan, although surprised, expressed trust in Dhoni’s judgment, believing it to be in the franchise’s best interest.
“Whatever Dhoni does, it is in the best interest of the team. I got to know of the decision just before the captains’ meeting. You have to respect his decision, it is his call,” Viswanathan affirmed to PTI, highlighting Dhoni’s constant commitment to CSK’s success.
Gaikwad, with six ODIs and 19 T20s for India, debuted for CSK in 2020, featuring in 52 matches. His standout performances include 590 runs at a 147.50 strike rate in 2021 and 635 runs in the same number of games in 2021. He also led India to an Asian Games gold in captaincy.
In the 2022 edition of the IPL, CSK had previously tried transitioning leadership, but it didn’t go as planned, resulting in Ravindra Jadeja returning the captaincy to Dhoni after eight games. “It didn’t work out at that time, this is different,” Viswanathan remarked.
CSK will play their first match as the season opener against the Royal Challengers Bangalore on March 22nd in Chennai.
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Last Updated on March 21, 2024
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