Janpukar News/ Admin
Ruturaj Gaikwad has been unveiled as the new captain of Chennai Super Kings a day before the opening game of IPL 2024, where defending champions CSK take on the visiting Royal Challengers Bengaluru at Chepauk. This brings to an end MS Dhoni’s long stint as captain of CSK – which began in the tournament’s first season back in 2008 – though he had stepped away from the position in 2022 too, when Ravindra Jadeja was made captain. But Jadeja stepped down after eight matches and Dhoni took back the reins, continuing in 2023 when CSK won the trophy for the fifth time and drew level with Mumbai Indians at the top of the title leaderboard.
That triumph was widely expected to be Dhoni’s IPL farewell – he had retired from international cricket following the 2019 World Cup – but he vowed to return for at least one more season if his body allowed it. Troubled by a knee issue right through the 2023 season, Dhoni underwent surgery days after the final. The 42-year-old joined CSK’s pre-season camp in Chennai earlier this month.
In all, Dhoni captained CSK in 235 of their 249 games in all competitions, leading them to two titles in the defunct Champions League T20 to go with the five IPL titles, in 2010, 2011, 2018, 2021 and 2023. Such was CSK’s consistency under Dhoni’s leadership, that the team finished outside the top four in just two seasons – 2020 and 2022 – while also reaching the final 10 times, including four consecutive years, from 2010 to 2013.
Source – Cricbuzz
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