TV
Under the stewardship of ‘Captain Cool’ Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) have flourished as one of the strongest teams in the cash-rich Indian Premier League (IPL). However, the franchise felt that the legendry cricketer is catching up with the age and his successor needs to be groomed. Hence, prolific batter Ruturaj Gaikwad was appointed as the captain of the Yellow Brigade in 2024.
However, it was a herculean task to fill in the big shoes of Dhoni. Gaikwad’s first season as captain for CSK has yielded mixed results. Though the side was in contention to qualify for the playoffs till their final league game, CSK’s performances throughout the IPL 2024 were inconsistent. CSK ended up in fifth place on the table with seven wins and seven losses.
Under the circumstance, while many experts are of the opinion that CSK should look beyond Gaikwad, some others are of the opinion that the franchise should persist with the youngster and give him some more chances.
“I feel Ruturaj Gaikwad needs one more year, the way he captained and a lot of things were said after the loss to RCB. However, Ruturaj has done a great job,” said former CSK talisman Suresh Raina.
Meanwhile, reflecting upon Dhoni’s future in IPL, Raina said, “I want MS Dhoni to play in IPL 2025, considering how he batted last year.”
