IPL 2024: MS Dhoni hands over CSK captaincy to Ruturaj Gaikwad

MS Dhoni has handed over Chennai Super Kings’ captaincy to Ruturaj Gaikwad ahead of their first game of the Indian Premier League 2024 against Royal Challengers Bengaluru on March 22 (Friday). The announcement was first made on IPL's official Twitter page, with Gaikwad attending the pre-IPL captains conclave in Chennai on March 21 (Thursday).

The wicketkeeper-batter has been Chennai's captain since the inception of IPL in 2008, except for a brief period in 2022. Dhoni had stepped down and Ravindra Jadeja was given the leadership role. The move didn't quite work and MSD returned as captain after a few matches. The Men in Yellow didn't qualify for the playoffs that year but won the 2023 edition, making Dhoni the second captain after Rohit Sharma with five IPL titles.

Overall, Dhoni captained CSK in 235 of their 249 games in all competitions. In the IPL, Dhoni captained CSK in 212 matches and won 128 games. Apart from five IPL titles (2010, 2011, 2018, 2021, 2023), Dhoni also won the defunct Champions League T20 twice. He also led Rising Pune Supergiant in 14 games when CSK were banned in 2016 and 2017. He ends with a win-loss ratio of 1.461 in the IPL. Under him, only twice CSK didn't qualify for the playoffs. 

Gaikwad, who made his IPL debut in 2020, has been CSK's most prolific batter in recent years. The right-handed opener has 1797 runs in 51 innings at an average of 39.07 and a strike rate of 135.52, studded with one century and 14 fifties. Gaikwad, who has captained Maharashtra in domestic cricket, won the Orange Cap in 2021.

Speaking to Cricbuzz, Kasi Viswanathan, the CEO of CSK, said: "It was a decision between MS and Flem (head coach Stephen Fleming). We the management of the franchise always leave the cricketing matters to the team management and they let us know about the captaincy change this morning. We went by their decision.

"I believe that Rutu must have been hinted about it in advance. That is the way MS functions. He must have consulted him before deciding to hand over the reins to him. But we informed Mr Srinivasan only this morning."