Ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024, Mahendra Singh Dhoni has stepped down as the captain of Chennai Super Kings (CSK). The baton of leadership has been passed on to Ruturaj Gaikwad.
“MS Dhoni has handed over Chennai Super Kings’ captaincy to Ruturaj Gaikwad ahead of the start of 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,” CSK announced in a statement.
As Dhoni approaches his 43rd birthday in July, speculation continues to mount over whether the upcoming IPL could be his swansong as a player.
Despite concerns about his availability for the IPL, Dhoni, fondly known as ‘Thala’, underwent surgery in Mumbai last year and has since recovered. He recently returned to his second home, the Chepauk Stadium in Chennai, to begin preparations for the upcoming season.
Dhoni played the IPL 2023 with an injured knee, which limited his mobility and often resulted in him limping. He underwent surgery in Mumbai immediately after the season ended to address the issue.
Under Dhoni’s leadership, CSK clinched their fifth IPL title last year, drawing level with Mumbai Indians on the list of most title wins.
Dhoni had earlier hinted at wanting to end his IPL journey with CSK in a special way, although it remains uncertain what he has planned.
It’s worth noting that CSK had previously handed over the captaincy to Ravindra Jadeja in 2022. However, the left-arm spinner stepped down midway through the tournament following a series of losses and returned the leadership role to Dhoni.
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