MS Dhoni Reveals Why He Chose Ruturaj Gaikwad As His Successor At CSK

On the eve of the start of the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL), MS Dhoni and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) dropped one of the biggest bombshells in the competition’s history, announcing that Ruturaj Gaikwad will be taking over from Dhoni as the captain of CSK.

Gaikwad, by then, was a fan favourite and a well-established star at CSK and also had enough experience leading Maharashtra at the domestic level. Still, the decision came as a shock, considering Dhoni’s stature and timing, given it came literally a few hours before CSK’s first game of IPL 2024 against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB).

In a chat with JioHotstar, Dhoni opened up about why he anointed Gaikwad as his successor.

"Ruturaj has been part of us for quite some time. His temperament is very good, he's very calm, very composed. So those were the reasons we considered him for leadership,” Dhoni said, reported Times of India.

“Before the start of the tournament, I also told him, 'If I give you advice, it doesn't mean you have to follow it. I will try to stay away as much as possible.' 

“During the season, a lot of people speculated that I was making the decisions in the background. But the fact is, he was making 99 per cent of the decisions. The most important calls -- bowling changes, field placements -- were all his. I was just helping him out. He did a brilliant job of handling the players,” Dhoni added about Gaikwad, under whom CSK finished fifth and narrowly missed out on making it to the playoffs in IPL 2024.

43 now, Dhoni is astonishingly playing his 18th IPL edition. And there was a time post the pandemic when it looked like age was catching up with Dhoni the batter, who struck at under 125.00 across three consecutive seasons (2020, 2021 & 2022). 

However, the last two seasons have seen the former India skipper return to his OG destructive self. In IPL 2024, Dhoni maintained a strike rate of 220.55, scorching every bowler that came his way.

It’s been a remarkable turnaround, and Dhoni spoke about the need for him to stay ‘relevant’ by constantly reinventing himself to keep up with the times. 

“Batsmen are now willing to take risks. They believe that with proper cricketing shots, they can play big strokes, and at the same time, they are improvising with their shot selection...whether it's a reverse scoop against a fast bowler, a sweep, or a reverse sweep against a pacer. I am no different. I have to adapt as well,” Dhoni said.

“This is what is required of me for where I am batting. You have to try and stay relevant."