2024-03-22 12:49:08
New Delhi: Something happened on Thursday morning that shocked everyone at the breakfast table. Dhoni, who is famous for giving surprises, surprises his teammates and support staff early in the morning by telling them that he is leaving the captaincy. After this ‘unofficial meeting’, Mahi made a phone call to the management and told that he is leaving the captaincy for Ruturaj Gaikwad. The truth is that Ruturaj Gaikwad was being prepared for this role for the last two years. Even though Dhoni surprised everyone with his sudden decision, this time the franchise did not get the same shock as it did in 2022. Then Dhoni similarly resigned from the captaincy and handed over the responsibility to Ravindra Jadeja. At that time it seemed that the franchise was surprised by Dhoni’s decision, but this time head coach Stephen Fleming said that he is in a much better position.
Why was Gaikwad chosen as the successor?
A team which has an army of star players. There are big international players. Giving the captaincy to Ruturaj Gaikwad, who is familiar with the set-up and trusted by the management, seems to be the right decision. Calm natured Ruturaj knows how to deal with high pressure situations. The 27-year-old right-handed batsman was signed by CSK ahead of the 2019 season for his base price of Rs 20 lakh. He impressed the dressing room as well as the owners at India Cements Headquarters. After winning the Orange Cap in 2022, before the mega auction, this Maharashtra batsman was among the four players who were retained by CSK for Rs 6 crore. This makes him the lowest priced captain.
A few years ago we probably weren’t ready for MS to go away. We were all shaken by his decision. After Mahi’s departure, the coaching staff had to search for his successor. Everything was almost unimaginable then, but we saw the seeds of change being lost. Therefore, we have worked hard to ensure that the mistakes that were made are not repeated.
Media to Head Coach Stephen Fleming
Like Dhoni, Rutu is also very special to the owners.
Ruturaj Gaikwad was well aware that he would be Dhoni’s successor, but according to people close to Gaikwad, when he left Pune to join the pre-season camp on March 3, he was still aware of Dhoni’s retirement after this season. As soon as he took charge, he was expected to take command in the 2025 IPL. But Dhoni wanted to see Gaikwad in the captaincy role while he was playing. Ever since the decision to hand over the captaincy to Jadeja proved wrong, it was believed that Dhoni had accepted Gaikwad as the future captain. Although they had brought in Ben Stokes as an option, the franchise wanted Gaikwad as the next captain.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni will not captain CSK in IPL 2024
Ranchi’s evening meeting and Dhoni-Gaikwad
During the 2022/2023 edition of the Vijay Hazare Trophy, when Maharashtra was playing its league matches in Ranchi, Gaikwad spent every evening with Dhoni. During those meetings, Dhoni told Gaikwad that the franchise wanted to see him in a new role. Apart from being a confident player, the management also noticed Gaikwad’s leadership qualities in the Captaincy Skills Programme. Stephen Fleming runs this program every season. Speaking to The Indian Express, Stephen Fleming said that many domestic players are showing active interest in participating in these sessions which are not mandatory. This season, apart from talking about on-field strategies, also works on the talent of taking decisions based on team philosophy.