Why did MS Dhoni step down as CSK Captain?
Amidst the excitement of seeing MS Dhoni back on field, the sudden captaincy switch news shocked Dhoni fans all around the world.
Dhoni, widely regarded as one of the best cricketers and captains of all time in cricket, has chosen to hand-over the leadership helm to the young Ruturaj Gaikwad.
Chennai Super Kings won their record 5-title last season under the leadership of Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
But the captaincy swap one day before the first game of CSK in IPL 2024 stunned the cricket fraternity.
This is not the first time that Dhoni has handed over the captaincy. The 42-year-old also did the same thing before the IPL 2022, when he announced Ravindra Jadeja as skipper of CSK. However, things did not go as planned for CSK, as the CSK failed to win crucial games, and Jadeja’s performance also seen some dip, considering that Dhoni took back the leadership role and led the CSK team to their fifth title in 2023.
CSK won 5 IPL titles and 2 Champions League T20 titles under Dhoni. Chennai’s talisman, MSD, is the most successful captain in the history of Indian Premier League with 133 wins.
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Why did MS Dhoni step down as CSK Captain?
With CSK winning under MSD and everyone enjoying seeing him captain a team, there are 2 possible reasons for Dhoni’s decision to step down as CSK Captain.
- Ageing Factor
Dhoni will turn 43 this year and is not playing any kind of cricket apart from Indian Premier League. He left international cricket 5 years back but continues to play the IPL, owing to the love he received from fans whenever they see him on the pitch hitting those monsters and leading CSK to triumph.
However, with age taking its toll, Dhoni is not as fast between the wickets what he once was. He played the whole tournament with a knee injury last season, and to escape from running too much, he used to bat at number 7th or 8th spot for power hitting, according to game’s demand.
- Leader’s responsibility
As a passionate cricketer and a responsible person, Dhoni’s decision to hand over the captaincy to the emerging Ruturaj Gaikwad, who has proved his mettle in IPL, is a very calculated choice.
CSK is not a small team; it is a 5-time winner, and leading such a franchise entails a great deal of responsibility. Dhoni wants to train the young lad during his last dance, so that he can retire feeling confident that he hands the leadership helm in the best hands.
Dhoni was announced as the skipper of CSK in league’s opening season, and he led the side for 14 straight seasons, barring 2016 and 2017, when CSK did not participate in the IPL.
Chennai’s new skipper, Ruturaj Gaikwad, made his IPL debut in 2020, and since then he is part of CSK franchise. He has provided the team with strength with his solid batting technique and has amassed 1757 runs so far in 52 IPL games at an average of 39.07.
