At the breakfast table on Thursday, MS Dhoni informed his Chennai Super Kings (CSK) colleagues of his decision to resign as captain, per a report. According to the source, Dhoni called the franchise management to advise them of his intention to give Ruturaj Gaikwad the captaincy after first informing his teammates and support personnel.
When Dhoni told CSK CEO Kasi Viswanathan that he was quitting as captain ahead of the 2024 Indian Premier League, saying he wanted to focus on the transition with Gaikwad.
“He informed us of the decision this morning before the captain's meeting after talking to the head coach,” Viswanathan told The Indian Express.
Mr N Srinivasan has given the charge to Dhoni and whatever decision he takes, will always be in the best interest of the franchise. And he has been grooming Gaikwad for the last couple of years on the field as well as outside. Dhoni felt this is the right time to hand it over to him as he felt Gaikwad was also ready.
~Viswanathan added
Dhoni took over as captain of CSK during the 2008 season, and under his captainship, the CSK franchise won its fifth IPL title, a record shared by only Mumbai Indians and himself. Stephen Fleming, the head coach of CSK, commented on Dhoni's choice as well.
It was MS, with a lot of consideration and a view to the future on the back of a good last season. The timing was good. Behind the scenes, Ruturaj and others have been going through captaincy grooming courses, especially for days like this. When the opportunity comes up, MS is the best judge.
~he said
Fleming said Dhoni's announcement was a "low-key" event since there has been a build-up that has lasted for two years or so.
It was typically very low-key, and it quickly took off to a celebration, as the players embraced Ruturaj.
~he said
Of course, there was a little bit of a shock around it, but going back two years behind, the players and now the ex-captain (Dhoni) handled it well while announcing the decision to the team.
~Fleming added
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