MS Dhoni has stepped down as captain of the Chennai Super Kings two days ahead of the 2022 Indian Premier League. Dhoni has selected Ravindra Jadeja to lead the four-time IPL champion.
CSK have confirmed MS Dhoni will continue to represent the team this “season and beyond”.
Chennai Super Kings, the defending IPL champions, will play the season opener against 2021 runners-up Kolkata Knight Riders on March 26 in Mumbai. When CSK received a two-year ban following the outbreak of the spot-fixing scandal, Dhoni had represented Rising Puner Supergiant in 2016 and 2017. Teaming up again with CSK in 2018, Dhoni had one of his best years with the racquet in the IPL, hitting 455 runs with a batting average of 150.66 to help CSK win the title.
MS Dhoni is the most famous Indian captain. He led India to glory at the 2007 T20 World Championship, the 2011 ODI World Championship and the 2013 Champions Trophy. In the IPL, Dhoni was synonymous with the Super Kings, leading them to 4 title triumphs. After a poor season in 2020, MS Dhoni faced criticism before storming back to win the 2021 IPL.
Official statement #WhistlePodu #Yellow @msdhoni @imjadeja
– Chennai Super Kings (@ChennaiIPL) March 24, 2022
Ravindra Jadeja has been part of Chennai Super Kings since 2012 and is a permanent member. The star all-rounder is in red-hot form and made history in the Mohali Test against Sri Lanka, where he scored 175 goals and won 9 wickets.
MS Dhoni’s shocking announcement ahead of IPL 2022 is sure to disappoint fans1.
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In 2014 MS Dhoni had suddenly announced their decision to withdraw from Test cricket in the middle of a series in Australia. In January 2017, Dhoni decided to step down as India’s shorter format captain before finally hanging up his boots in August 2020.
Over the years, MS Dhoni, once one of the best power hitters and finishers in the game, has failed to live up to his own high standards with the racquet. After hitting 416 runs with an 83.20 15-game average in IPL 2019, he only managed 200 runs in 2020 and a miserable 114 runs in 2021.
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However, the Chennai Super Kings have stayed with MS Dhoni despite the drop in batting form. He continues to be a keen wicketkeeper and his leadership is still of high quality. Ahead of the IPL auctions in 2022, Dhoni became the second CSK player to be retained, after Ravindra Jadeja.
MS Dhoni will no doubt be an integral part of the CSK think tank and it will be interesting to see how Ravindra Jadeja fares as captain.
Last year’s T20 World Cup saw MS Dhoni named as a mentor but India still failed to progress beyond the group stage.
