Mahendra Singh Dhoni is a man of surprises. He's famously led the Chennai Super Kings to five Indian Premier League wins, but he had not posted anything related to cricket on his Facebook page in the past few months. On Monday, two lines about the upcoming IPL season and his new "role" have led to speculations ahead of the 2024 edition of the league.
The CSK management could announce him as the player cum mentor, or it could be a brand endorsement. But what if he steps down from captaincy mid-season and decides to come as an Impact Player?
Two years ago, Dhoni had decided to leave the leadership role mid-season and identified Ravindra Jadeja as his successor. It did not help the franchise as they finished ninth in the 10-team tournament. Dhoni returned next year as full-time captain and guided the franchise to their fifth IPL title.
Who are the other leaders in CSK?
MS Dhoni is 42, and while he hasn't said as much, it could be his farewell season. If one goes by patterns, his retirement announcements have been sudden. And he only drops the bomb once he is sure of the successor. In 2014, the two-time World Cup winner decided to quit Test cricket in the middle of the Australian tour. He had prepared Virat Kohli for the role. Three years later, he stepped down from ODI captaincy when Kohli had grown as captain.
Similarly, Dhoni may have picked the next captain of CSK. Ajinkya Rahane is a frontrunner for his experience, followed by Ruturaj Gaikwad, a promising youngster.
CSK IPL franchise: Experience and youth
The 35-year-old Rahane has led Rajasthan Royals in the past in the IPL. He has captained India in six Tests, winning four and drawing two, besides winning three ODIs. The seasoned campaigner has won one and lost one T20I as skipper. This week, he also guided Mumbai to the Ranji Trophy final and has earned praise for his inspiring leadership qualities.
Gaikwad, 27, led India to a gold medal finish at the Asian Games T20I cricket competition last year. He is the second captain after Dhoni to win a T20I tournament on the first attempt.
Rahane regained his IPL mojo after joining CSK in 2023. He finished the season with 326 runs at 172.49 strike-rate, while Gaikwad has been piling runs for the past three seasons. He finished at 590 in 2023.
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