MS Dhoni might have reliquished CSK captaincy, but he will forever remain the true leader
MS Dhoni has got most timings perfect. Maybe that’s why he is one of the best finishers in the business. Except in the 2019 World Cup, which was a rare imperfect finish from the perfect finisher, Dhoni has literally always got it right. He did so yet one more time when he gave up on CSK captaincy and handed the reins to Ravindra Jadeja ahead of IPL 2022.
Dhoni, who doesn’t play international or domestic cricket anymore, will surely find it hard to continue with the same consistency going forward. No one knows it better than the legend himself. It was time to pass the baton so he could enjoy his cricket and also be the leader that he is.
Let me make this clear. He stays leader in the CSK camp and in the dressing room and always will be. Jadeja, on the other hand, is at the peak of his powers and can easily captain CSK for the next three to four years under the able guidance of Dhoni. The two share a fantastic bond and that will only help the franchise going forward.
Let me go back to an incident Dhoni once told me about the 2019 World Cup semi-final. He had mentioned to me that when Jadeja was batting with him in that fateful semi-final against New Zealand, he was calibrating for them both and making plans for the next few overs. In sum, he was grooming Jadeja for the challenge and needless to say the two of them had got India agonisingly close to the target.
What Dhoni was doing at the crease is what he will do now in the dressing room. In 2019, he was helping groom Ravindra Jadeja the batter. He will now help polish Jadeja the captain.
Jadeja has the resources and time to adapt into a massive role as CSK captain
Look at the timing of the decision. It just couldn’t get any better. Jadeja will relish the opportunity to lead one of the most successful IPL teams and coming just ahead of the IPL, it will give that little extra fillip to a performer ahead of the biggest spectacle.
As for Dhoni, it will allow him to play with that little extra freedom, which he perhaps needs at this stage of his career. While he will still advise from behind the wicket and from the change room, Jadeja will now be the man in the hot seat getting battle ready for the future.
What will this decision mean for CSK fans more specifically and for IPL fans at large? Needless to say, each one will miss Dhoni the captain. Dhoni at the toss or at the post-match presentation was always an attraction and was more like an emotion and a habit. While it will take time to adjust to the change, it will also mean each one of us will crave to hear from him that much more.
From a marketing point of view, this decision is a stroke of genius. It adds that extra emotion to the franchise that is so very important in uniting fans just ahead of the IPL. As I said, the timing is perfect. Once again, Dhoni got it right.