Before the forthcoming IPL 2024 on Thursday (March 21), legendary skipper MS Dhoni stepped down as the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) franchise’s captain. The official replacement to him is opener Ruturaj Gaikwad, who will captain the reigning champs this year.
MS Dhoni led CSK from the start in 2008. Ravindra Jadeja captained for 8 games recently. After winning just 2, losing 6, Jadeja gave up captaincy mid-season. Then Dhoni took over again for remaining matches.
The iconic player then captained the yellow team in the 2023 Indian Premier League, winning the championship a record-tying fifth time. In 212 games as CSK’s captain, Dhoni won 128 and lost 82. In the history of the IPL, his name shines as the lone captain to reach the landmark of a hundred victories.
Ahead of the 2024 Indian Premier League, fans noticed the shift in leadership at CSK and shared amusing memes on X and Instagram to share their opinions. The top ten are as follows:
Ravichandran Ashwin Reflects on MS Dhoni’s Decision to Pass CSK Captaincy to Ruturaj Gaikwad
In a candid talk, skilled off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin pondered MS Dhoni’s choice to pass the CSK captaincy to rising star Ruturaj Gaikwad right before IPL 2024’s kickoff. Simple words explained his stance – it was destined to happen, and Dhoni aimed to uplift the team’s fortunes with this move.
Diving deeper into Dhoni’s mindset, Ashwin voiced his thoughts via a YouTube video:
“This was an inevitable decision. It had to come at some stage. I know MS Dhoni. He keeps the team at the forefront. He keeps thinking about the well-being of the team. Because of that, 2 years ago, he gave the captain’s armband to Jadeja. Now he has given it to Ruturaj. This decision had to happen. Who and how remained the question.”
Ravichandran Ashwin
Ravichandran Ashwin continued:
“Ruturaj wouldn’t have thought his role was only a batter until yesterday. I know MS Dhoni very well. Sitting in his room, enjoying dinner with the youngsters, he must have told Ruturaj last year, I wouldn’t be surprised if that was the case. I definitely think it was not a surprise for Ruturaj. Brother, you are going to take charge. You can do all these things. ‘I will be there, don’t worry’ is something that Dhoni might have told Ruturaj well in advance.”
Ravichandran Ashwin
