"I don't think there has been a better captain than him in the IPL" - Harbhajan Singh on MS Dhoni leaving captaincy right before IPL 2022

Former India off-spinner Harbhajan Singh admitted that he did not see MS Dhoni stepping down from the captaincy before IPL 2022. In an unprecedented move, the 41-year-old handed over leadership responsibilities to Ravindra Jadeja, mere days before their opening contest of the campaign.

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) secured four titles under the former Indian skipper's 12-year reign. The veteran was expected to continue as captain, especially after being retained by the franchise ahead of the IPL 2022 mega auction. The World Cup-winning captain will play as a wicket-keeper batter for the first time since IPL 2016, where he played under the leadership of Steve Smith.

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In this regard, Harbhajan Singh said in an exclusive chat with Sportskeeda:

"I did not expect Dhoni to relinquish the captaincy right before the season. I thought he would use this season to groom someone. I don't think there has been a better captain than him in the IPL. This decision must have been taken after a lot of thought. Even though Jadeja is the captain, I expect Dhoni to step in during crunch situations in trademark fashion."

Ravindra Jadeja will feature as the captain of the first team when CSK take the field to face Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the opening contest of IPL 2022.

"Dhoni is still the best player in the IPL" - Shoaib Akhtar

Despite his waning skills with the bat over the course of the last few editions, former Pakistan bowler Shoaib Akhtar rated the former India captain as the best player in the league. The veteran's experience will be a huge asset for the franchise as they go through a transition period to secure a record-equalling fifth IPL title.

📹 First reactions from the Man himself!

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Hailing the former captain's cricketing mind as one of the best in the business, Akhtar said:

"He is one of the mind in cricket that you can always count on. He is still the best player in the IPL. I think he must have been mentally tired. He must have thought of handing someone else the responsibility and playing freely."

CSK will take on KKR in a rematch of the IPL 2021 later tonight at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, according to the IPL 2022 schedule.