We are just two days away from the start of the 15th edition of the Indian Premier League. The first match will be played between the defending champions, CSK, and the Kolkata Knight Riders on Saturday, March 26. But on Thursday, the world was shocked to hear of MS Dhoni’s sudden decision to step down from the captaincy of CSK. Dhoni has handed over the captaincy duties to star all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja. And now Jadeja has become only the third player to lead the Yellow Army since the inception of the IPL.
Earlier, Dhoni and Raina had led CSK in the IPL. Notably, the franchise signed the all-rounder in 2012, and he has been one of their top match-winners ever since. There were already a few presumptions about Dhoni’s future as CSK captain since he announced his retirement from international cricket. However, he led his team successfully last season to win the championship. But what could be the reason that he left the captaincy role suddenly, and that too, just two days before their first match against KKR?
“MS Dhoni felt it is the right time” Kasi Viswanathan
Chennai Super Kings CEO, Kasi Viswanathan, disclosed the sudden decision of MSD to hand over the captaincy role. During an interaction with ESPNCricinfo, Viswanathan said that Dhoni was thinking about it and he felt this was the right time. The CSK CEO also explained that the former Indian skipper has done this for the well-being of the team because Jadeja is also in the form of his life. And this was the ideal time to do this.
Furthermore, he said that Jaddu was in the scheme of things from the last one or two seasons. Also, the management was aware that he could be the best replacement for MSD.
Viswanathan also compared the situation to that of 2015, when Dhoni handed over the captaincy to Virat Kohli. He said that this is similar to 2015, when MSD groomed Virat before handing him the captaincy. He said, “Similarly, he wanted the transition to be smooth (in CSK).”
Jaddu has the potential to do well for the franchise
The CEO also pointed out that the all-rounder is capable of leading the team and has the potential to win matches. But he also said that MSD will be there with him to guide him throughout, and that it will surely help him learn. Concluding the conversation, he said that the former Indian skipper had decided to hand over the role to Jadeja. The official statement ended with, “Dhoni will continue to represent Chennai Super Kings this season and beyond.”
Suresh Raina, who has also led CSK in the past, congratulated the all-rounder on his new role in the IPL. He also said that Jadeja was the best man for this job and would do wonders for the franchise.