In a surprising twist, Ruturaj Gaikwad was appointed as the captain of the Chennai Super Kings on Thursday, replacing the iconic MS Dhoni. The defending champions left fans astonished with this significant announcement made just a day before the IPL opener.
The Indian Premier League revealed this update in a post on X platform, ahead of CSK’s match against the Royal Challengers Bangalore.
“Presenting @ChennaiIPL’s Captain – @Ruutu1331,”The IPL shared on X platform shortly after posting a photo featuring all captains posing with the IPL trophy.
Presenting @ChennaiIPL's Captain – @Ruutu1331 🙌🙌#TATAIPL pic.twitter.com/vt77cWXyBI
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) March 21, 2024
After participating in six ODIs and 19 T20s for India, Gaikwad debuted for CSK in 2020 and has subsequently appeared in 52 matches for the five-time IPL champions. The stylish opener delivered an outstanding performance last season, accumulating 590 runs in 16 games with a notable strike rate of 147.50.
“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,” CSK said in a statement on their website. “The team looks forward to the upcoming season.”
𝐈𝐭'𝐬 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐰𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞!
The #TATAIPL is here and WE are ready to ROCK & ROLL 🎉🥳🥁
Presenting the 9 captains with PBKS being represented by vice-captain Jitesh Sharma. pic.twitter.com/v3fyo95cWI
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) March 21, 2024
It is anticipated that Dhoni will retire after the season, prompting the franchise to seek a seamless transition in his presence as a player.
MS Dhoni has captained Chennai Super Kings to five titles
Under Dhoni’s leadership, CSK clinched their fifth IPL title last year, equaling Mumbai Indians’ record for the most titles won. Earlier, MSD had suggested that he wished to conclude his stint with CSK in a memorable way. However, his specific plans remain uncertain.
In 2022, the Super Kings appointed Ravindra Jadeja as captain, but the left-arm spinner relinquished the role midway through the tournament due to a string of defeats, returning the leadership duties to Dhoni.
Dhoni is widely regarded as one of India’s finest captains. Under his stewardship, India secured victory in the 2007 T20 World Cup, the 2011 ODI World Cup, and a Champions Trophy, in addition to ascending to the pinnacle of the ICC Test rankings for the first time.
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