In a last minut announcment, the legendary MS Dhoni “handed” over the captaincy of the Chennai Super Kings to opener Ruturaj Gaikwad on Thursday.

This unexpected move is sure to fuel rumors about Dhoni’s role in the team in the future. The Indian Premier League announced the news one day prior to CSK’s matchup with Royal Challengers Bengaluru on X. Shortly afterward, the five-time champions released a brief statement.

Since 2019, Ruturaj has been a crucial member of the Chennai Super Kings, participating in 52 IPL games. The squad is excited about the forthcoming campaign, according to CSK.

The team needed to make a seamless transition in the veteran player’s presence because there are rumors that Dhoni will retire at the end of the season.

After making his CSK debut in 2020, Gaikwad—who has played six ODIs and 19 T20s for India—went on to play 52 games for the team.

“Every action taken by Dhoni serves the team’s best interests. It was shortly before the captains’ meeting that I learned of the decision. It’s his call, and you have to respect it,” CSK CEO Kasi Viswanathan told PTI.

Last year, Gaikwad, amassed 590 runs at a remarkable strike rate of 147.50 in 16 games, making it an unforgettable run. In 16 games in 2021, he scored 635 runs, which was his breakthrough year.

The Maharashtra native, 27, has experience leading a team; in the previous Asian Games, he helped the Indian squad win the gold medal. He has also served as Maharashtra’s state leader.

Even in the 2022 edition, CSK attempted a leadership change, but it was unsuccessful as Ravindra Jadeja returned Dhoni’s captaincy after eight games.
42-year-old Dhoni had surgery after helping CSK win their fifth championship. He had played with a sore knee the previous season. He had pushed himself down to number 8 in the batting order due to his knee problem, but this time around, he should bat higher up the order.

Throughout his 250 IPL games, Dhoni has amassed over 5000 runs at a strike average of 135.92.