Twelve seasons, four title triumphs and five runner-up finishes later, the iconic Mahendra Singh Dhoni has decided to hand over the captaincy of Chennai Super Kings to his trusted lieutenant, Ravindra Jadeja. However, in a brief statement, CSK said the 40-year-old will continue to represent the franchise for the "season and beyond", having led one of the most successful IPL sides since the tournament's inception in 2008 -- barring the two seasons when the team was suspended in the wake of the spot-fixing scandal.
CSK released an official statement to announce the change in leadership.
"Jadeja, who has been an integral part of Chennai Super Kings since 2012, will only be the third player to lead CSK. Dhoni will continue to represent Chennai Super Kings this season and beyond," the statement read.
📑 Official Statement 📑#WhistlePodu #Yellove 💛🦁 @msdhoni @imjadeja
— Chennai Super Kings (@ChennaiIPL) March 24, 2022
CSK has won the IPL title four times -- 2010, 2011, 2018, and 2021. Dhoni captained the team since its inception in 2008.
The World Cup-winning captain has always been his own man when it comes to leaving captaincy or announcing his retirement. He quit Test captaincy and also the five-day game in the middle of a series in Australia in 2014. And when he thought Virat Kohli was ready to lead India across formats, Dhoni made way for him in 2017.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni carries the Indian Premier League trophy after leading his side to victory in the 2021 edition of the tournament. (Image: ipl120.com)Though the inspirational leader carried on to play the IPL after announcing his international retirement in his inimitable style, his decision to hand over the CSK leadership to Jadeja was not entirely surprising. Dhoni knew that he can't go on forever and the 33-year-old Jadeja, who is at the peak of his prowess, is ready for the challenge. The southpaw was CSK's number one retention before the auction ahead of Dhoni, Moeen Ali and Ruturaj Gaekwad.
The announcement still took CSK CEO Kasi Viswanathan by surprise but he said "if Dhoni takes a decision, it has to be in the best interest of the team". "See whatever decision MS takes it is in the best interest of the team. So there is nothing to worry for us. We respect his decision. He is always there to guide us," Viswanthan said.
First Published: Mar 24, 2022 3:02 PM IST
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