MS Dhoni will retire at the end of IPL 2024, and that’s why Chennai Super Kings (CSK) have chosen a new captain, PTI reported while citing speculations around Mahi’s retirement. Choosing Ruturaj Gaikwad, as captain, while Dhoni is still playing will ensure a smooth transition, the report added.
“MS Dhoni has handed over Chennai Super Kings’ captaincy to Ruturaj Gaikwad ahead of the start of TATA 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 posted on social media on March 21.
Dhoni is known for surprising his fans by revealing headline-worthy decisions in the most mundane fashion. He also does it when least expected. Nobody had the faintest idea that he was going to announce his retirement from international cricket.
In the middle of the Coronavirus pandemic in 2020, he chose Independence Day to post a video on social media. With a montage of photos and Mukesh’s song, “Main Pal Do Pal Ka Shayar Hoon (I’m a poet who’s here only for a while), Dhoni hung his boots.
This time around, too, there was no buzz about him stepping down as the CSK captain. Hours before the opening match with Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), MSD dropped the bomb. It left fans devastated. They exclaimed in pain, “Thala will forever be our Captain.”
‘It is in the best interest of the team’
“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,” CSK CEO Kasi Viswanathan told PTI.
Dhoni’s decision to step down as captain could be just the beginning of the heartbreak for his fans. Now, speculations of his impending retirement from the IPL after the 17th season will potentially leave them devastated. While they knew this day would eventually come, the thought of watching CSK without MSD is a reality no fan wants to confront.
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Published: 22 Mar 2024, 02:07 PM IST