The chapter of MS Dhoni’s captaincy in Chennai Super Kings was thought to have ended before the last IPL. However, the legendary wicketkeeper-batsman might once again be seen in the role of captain. A possible injury to the team’s regular captain, Ruturaj Gaikwad, could open the door for the 43-year-old Dhoni to lead the side again.
Last Sunday, Ruturaj suffered an elbow injury while batting against Rajasthan Royals. There is uncertainty over his participation in Saturday’s match against Delhi Capitals at their home ground. If he fails to recover in time, Dhoni might captain the side in that match. Chennai’s batting coach, Mike Hussey, hinted at this possibility the day before the match. However, he remains hopeful about Ruturaj’s recovery.
Mike Hussey said, “We are very hopeful that Gaikwad will be ready for Saturday. I don’t think we are thinking too much about the captaincy. We have a few young players. He (Dhoni) stays behind the stumps, so maybe he can do a good job. I’m not sure. He has experience in this role, so he might be able to do it. But honestly, I’m not completely certain.”
Dhoni had been the captain of Chennai Super Kings since the inaugural IPL in 2008. Under his leadership, the team has won the IPL title five times. Ahead of the 2022 season, Dhoni stepped down from the captaincy of Chennai and handed over the responsibility to Ravindra Jadeja.
However, after a poor run of results, Jadeja relinquished the captaincy midway through the tournament, and Dhoni returned as captain. The following year, Dhoni led the team to their fifth IPL title.
Before their first match of IPL 2024, Chennai announced Ruturaj Gaikwad as their new captain, replacing Dhoni. Combining both IPL and Champions League T20, Dhoni has captained Chennai in 235 matches, winning 142 of them. During Chennai’s suspension in the 2016 and 2017 IPL seasons, Dhoni captained the Rising Pune Supergiant team
