Left Arm Around

Ruturaj Gaikwad has been named as the new Chennai Super Kings captain, replacing the legendary MS Dhoni in charge of the franchise.

Dhoni, 42, won 128 matches from 212 as leader of CSK in the IPL- collecting five titles in 2010, 2011, 2018, 2021 and 2023.

The team finished outside the play-off spots on only TWO occasions in 2020 and 2022, highlighting the incredibly consistency under Dhoni’s tutelage.

He also won the now defunct Champions League Twenty 20 (CLT20) in 2010 and 2014, defeating Kolkata Knight Riders in the final ever match of the competition’s history.

In what could be Dhoni’s final ever season as a professional cricketer, the men in yellow have a man in Gaikwad clearly capable of taking over the reigns and building on their long-term success.

With 1797 runs from 52 matches at a brilliant average of 39.07 and strike-rate of 135.52, the 27-year-old has been a consistent presence in the CSK XI since his IPL debut against Rajasthan Royals in September 2020.

His brilliant run-scoring feats, which include 635 runs and the orange cap in the 2021 edition, have earned him 6 ODI and 19 T20I caps for India in his short career so far.

He has formed illustrious opening partnerships with Faf Du Plessis and more recently Devon Conway, however Conway has been unfortunately ruled out for the whole 2024 season.

How he handles injuries and the influx of new signings will test if captaincy is for him…