Mahendra Singh Dhoni has stepped down as the captain of the Chennai Super Kings just a day before the commencement of the 2024 Indian Premier League.
Opening batter Ruturaj Gaikwad will lead the Chennai-based franchise when they take the field against the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the season opener on Friday.
“MS Dhoni has handed over Chennai Super Kings’ captaincy to Ruturaj Gaikwad ahead of the start of IPL 2024,” a statement from the franchise read.
Gaikwad has represented the Super Kings on 52 occasions since joining the team in 2019.
The 27-year-old from Pune has since become an integral part of the setup, scoring a bulk of the team’s runs at the top order.
Dhoni, on the other hand, has led the Chennai Super Kings’ since the inception of the IPL back in 2008.
The 42-year-old wicketkeeper batter played two seasons for the Rising Pune Supergiants – one season as captain and the other under Steve Smith’s captaincy – when the Super Kings were banned for two years from the league.
Dhoni, however, returned to lead the team when it re-entered the tournament in 2018. He briefly stepped down as the captain in 2022, making way for Ravindra Jadeja as the skipper before the all-rounder was sacked midway through the season.
Dhoni has led the Chennai Super Kings to five IPL title wins and is one of the most decorated captains in the league alongside Rohit Sharma, who has led Mumbai Indians to five titles as well.
Coincidentally, the Mumbai Indians have also replaced Sharma as a captain with Hardik Pandya ahead of the upcoming season.