On Wednesday (April 12), the Rajasthan Royals pulled off a thrilling three-run victory over the Chennai Super Kings in another last-ball thriller. This was M.S. This was Dhoni’s 200th game as captain of CSK, making him the first captain in IPL history to achieve this feat with a single franchise where he almost led his team to an unexpected victory after his middle-order collapse.
Dhoni has been pivotal in the success of CSK, with four IPL titles and one Champions Trophy under his belt, as well as nine IPL finals appearances in thirteen seasons — making CSK the most consistent team in IPL history. His record as captain of an IPL team for over 200 games may never be broken. Here are three reasons why:
1) Seasons required to play 200 games in the IPL
MS Dhoni has been the only captain who has led his team in the opening edition of the Indian Premier League and keeps that role to this day at the age of forty-one. His dedication to fitness and strong performances as a batter, wicket keeper and captain has been amazing. For another player to match Dhoni’s record, they must captain a team for at least 14 IPL seasons. Due to the high physical demands and most players retiring in their mid-to-late-thirties, it is highly unlikely that Dhoni’s record will be broken anytime soon.
2) Harsh nature of the league
The Indian Premier League is known as the most competitive league in cricket. Selections of captains and players are based solely on evidence of recent accomplishments, not reputation. For instance, SunRisers Hyderabad’s leader David Warner was dropped from the Playing XI in the middle of IPL 2021. Another high-profile captain, Ricky Ponting, was released from the Mumbai Indians and dropped from the lineup in 2013 with no option to return. Apart from Virat Kohli, no other player has played for just one IPL franchise for their entire career, illustrating that staying consistent in the IPL for a full 14 years, let alone being a captain, is a difficult feat.
3) Management of workload
With the number of matches being played annually, injuries are commonplace. This has led to many high-profile international players withdrawing from competition due to commitments with their countries and an effort to manage workloads or address existing issues. The intense stress that comes with captaining a team, combined with the vast number of games being played in a given year, has caused some of cricket’s biggest stars, such as Joe Root, Faf Du Plessis, Virat Kohli, A.B. de Villiers, and Kane Williamson to give up the title of international captain within several years. As a result, expecting any individual to hold the post of an IPL franchise captain for as long as 10 seasons may be unrealistic in modern cricket.
