Ruturaj Gaikwad, a young talent of 27 years, will lead CSK’s charge. His leadership replaces the legendary Dhoni, who’ll still grace the field. The IPL’s 17th edition witnesses a pivotal change in command for the Chennai giants. Ruturaj ascends the captaincy throne, while the iconic Dhoni transitions to a playing role.
MS Dhoni has managed CSK from its creation in 2008, winning five IPL trophies, the joint-highest total in the tournament’s history. After leading the club to victory in IPL 2023, the wicketkeeper-batter said that he will return to participate in IPL 2024 as a show of gratitude to fans for their support throughout the season.
The update came just a day before CSK’s first match against Royal Challengers Bangalore. That clash happens at M.A. Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Friday, March 22nd.
Dhoni opted to stand down as captain of the lucrative tournament in 2022, handing over the mantle to Ravindra Jadeja. The all-rounder failed to make an impact since the keeper-batter was forced to take up the duty midway through the competition.
As of today, Ruturaj Gaikwad will lead the five-time champions in the competition, as announced on the tournament’s official social media account.
CSK officially released a statement in their press release, which said:
“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 enter IPL 2024 as defending champions
When Jadeja took up Dhoni’s job in 2022, only for the latter to return, CSK had a disappointing season, finishing eighth in the points standings.
Donning the captain’s hat in the 2023 season, the former India captain led CSK to a record-tying fifth victory by defeating 2022 winners Gujarat Titans in a dramatic final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
Dhoni has captained CSK in 235 matches out of the total 249, including games in the now-defunct Champions League T20. Ruturaj Gaikwad will have a major challenge ahead of him as CSK tries to achieve a new record at the IPL 2024 by winning the trophy for the sixth time and protecting their title.
