After leading Chennai Super Kings (CSK) to five IPL (Indian Premier League) titles, MS Dhoni finally stepped down as the captain of the team and handed over the reins of the franchise to Ruturaj Gaikwad. Dhoni's decision to step down came a day before the IPL 2024 curtain raiser between CSK and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and sent shockwaves in the cricketing circles.
Ruturaj has big boots to fill but Dhoni and the team management feel that he is the ideal successor of Dhoni and can lead the team in the right direction. CSK's head coach Stephen Fleming, who has been instrumental in helping the team claim glory over the years, recently mentioned that though Gaikwad is "not the most demonstrative captain", he has the respect of all the players in the team.
"Ruturaj is very self-assured. Again, he's not the most demonstrative captain or person around, but he's got a very good approach with his fellow players and he's very well-respected. So I think my understanding from the senior players is the desire to help," said Fleming in the lead-up to CSK's match against RCB at Chepauk.
Arguably, the biggest challenge for Ruturaj is going to emerge out of the giant shadows of Dhoni. Dhoni alongside Rohit Sharma has been the most successful captain in the history of the tournament with five IPL title finishes. Therefore, Ruturaj is bound to face comparisons and his every move as skipper will be under the scanner.
Ruturaj's appointment triggered mixed responses from the CSK fans and therefore we also conducted a poll to gauge the pulse of the fans regarding the latest development. We asked our readers and viewers whether Ruturaj can replicate MS Dhoni's success at CSK in the IPL and the poll produced a wide array of responses.
Can Ruturaj Gaikwad replicate MS Dhoni's success as CSK's captain in the IPL?
Total votes: 4936
Yes: 35.71%
No: 51.06%
Can't say: 13.23%
