In a significant announcement on Thursday, March 21, it was officially confirmed that MS Dhoni, the legendary captain and wicketkeeper-batsman, will no longer lead the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the IPL. This surprising revelation came just a day before the commencement of IPL 2024. The opening clash of the season will witness Chennai Super Kings (CSK) facing Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in Chennai on March 22.

Ruturaj Gaikwad, the talented opening batsman, will now take charge as the leader of the 5-time IPL champions, Chennai Super Kings (CSK). Dhoni concludes his illustrious captaincy career as the most successful skipper in the tournament’s history.

Having led CSK to 5 IPL titles, Dhoni played 226 matches as captain in the Indian Premier League (IPL), winning 133 and losing 91 matches. He remains the only captain to have played over 200 matches and won over 100 matches in IPL history.Following the official announcement on IPL’s social media platforms regarding Ruturaj Gaikwad’s captaincy, speculation arose among fans that MS Dhoni had been sacked by the CSK franchise.

The term “sacked” became a top trend on the platform, prompting varied reactions from fans. In response to the speculations, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) issued a formal media release clarifying that Dhoni had voluntarily passed on the captaincy to Ruturaj Gaikwad.

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“MS Dhoni has handed over Chennai Super Kings’ captaincy to Ruturaj Gaikwad ahead of the start of TATA IPL 2024,” the franchise stated.

“Ruturaj has been an integral part of Chennai Super Kings since 2019 and has played 52 matches in IPL during this period. The team looks forward to the upcoming season,” the official CSK media release added.

Additionally, CSK CEO Kasi Viswanathan addressed the matter, revealing that he was informed about Dhoni’s decision to step down as captain just before the IPL captains’ meeting. He emphasized Dhoni’s decision was made in the best interest of the team.

“Whatever Dhoni does, it is in the best interest of the team. I got to know of the decision just before the captains’ meeting. You have to respect his decision, it is his call,” Viswanathan told PTI.

Viswanathan acknowledged the unsuccessful captaincy transition to Ravindra Jadeja in the past but expressed optimism about the current change.

“That captaincy transition (Ravindra Jadeja) did not work out but this is different,” Viswanathan added.

Notably, prior to IPL 2022, MS Dhoni handed over the captaincy to Ravindra Jadeja, but due to underperformance, Dhoni reclaimed the role mid-season, leading CSK to their 5th IPL championship in the subsequent edition.