3 Players Who Could Succeed MS Dhoni As CSK Captain
Chennai Super Kings desperately need to find a long-term captain for their squad to take over after MS Dhoni. They started last season under the leadership of Ravindra Jadeja, but returned to MS Dhoni after a dismal start to IPL 2022. The four-time champions ended up finishing their campaign second to last on the table and will surely be looking to bounce back in the 2023 season.
At the recently-held IPL 2023 auction, the only two players that CSK went all-out for were Ben Stokes and Kyle Jamieson. The team has retained most of their side from last year despite their poor performance, and will look to continue implementing their mantra of relying on tried and tested seniors.
One question that is on every CSK fan's mind right now, though, is, who will put on the captain's hat? Will 41-year-old MS Dhoni continue to lead the team? Will CSK pass the opportunity to a different player? Let's take a look at 3 players who could take over the mantle if Dhoni decides to relinquish the captaincy in 2023.
#1 Ben Stokes
Chennai Super Kings broke the bank at the IPL 2023 auction to acquire the services of England all-rounder Ben Stokes. Stokes, who had a base price of Rs 2 crore, was bought by CSK for a whopping Rs 16.25 crore.
Stokesy @ Anbuden.
That’s the tweet.
#WhistlePodu #Yellove 🦁 https://t.co/86tDadnOrL
Most experts think that Ben Stokes is the perfect fit for CSK's succession plan as he captains his national side in Tests. He has also worked with MS Dhoni and Chennai coach Stephen Fleming at Rising Pune Supergiant. Stokes was instrumental in Pune finishing runners-up in IPL 2017.
Stokes is also known to deliver under pressure and has played match-winning knocks for England in the 2022 T20 World Cup, the 2019 World Cup and the Headingley Ashes Test.
#2 Ravindra Jadeja
Ravindra Jadeja was handed the CSK captaincy ahead of the 2022 edition of the Indian Premier League. The change, though, did not go as planned and CSK lost 6 of its first 8 matches. The team then handed the captaincy back to MS Dhoni.
Jadeja to handover CSK captaincy back to MS Dhoni:Ravindra Jadeja has decided to relinquish captaincy to focus and concentrate more on his game & has requested MS Dhoni to lead CSK. MS Dhoni has accepted to lead CSK in the larger interest & to allow Jadeja to focus on his game.
In most cases, such a move would have meant the relationship between the player and the team went sour. But CSK is known to back its players, and Ravindra Jadeja has been a key performer for the side and a capable leader. Chances are that the team may repay him for his performances and his loyalty, and give Jadeja a second chance to prove himself at the helm.
Ruturaj Gaikwad
While Ben Stokes or Ravindra Jadeja seem to be the logical picks to succeed MS Dhoni, some reports state that the young opener Ruturaj Gaikwad is also in the mix. Since making his debut in 2020, the 25-year-old has been a consistent performer for the Chennai-based side.
He has been under the wings of Stephen Fleming and MS Dhoni for three years now, and making him the captain could provide Chennai with a long-term solution. Gaikwad is no stranger to captaining a side, having already led Maharashtra in the domestic circuit.
Another advantage Ruturaj Gaikwad has over Ben Stokes is that he already knows most of the players on the team.
Which of these players do you think is the right fit for the captaincy role at CSK? Is there anybody else on the team that may be right for the role? Should MS Dhoni continue to lead the team? Let us know in the comments.