Published: Mar 24, 2022, 07:36 PM (IST)
Edited: Mar 24, 2022, 07:36 PM (IST)
New Delhi: Twelve seasons, four title triumphs and five runner-up finishes later, the iconic Mahendra Singh Dhoni has decided to hand over the captaincy of Chennai Super Kings to his trusted lieutenant, Ravindra Jadeja. Former India captain Virat Kohli joined in to congratulate MS Dhoni with a heartfelt tweet. Kohli also compared Dhoni’s captaincy to a chapter fans will never forget.
Here is the tweet:
Legendary captaincy tenure in yellow skip. A chapter fans will never forget. Respect always. ❤️💛 @msdhoni pic.twitter.com/cz5AWkJV9S
Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) March 24, 2022
In a brief statement, CSK said the 40-year-old will continue to represent the franchise for the “season and beyond”, having led one of the most successful IPL sides since the tournament’s inception in 2008 — barring the two seasons when the team was suspended in the wake of the spot-fixing scandal.
“MS Dhoni has decided to hand over the leadership of Chennai Super Kings and picked Ravindra Jadeja to lead the team. Jadeja, who has been an integral part of Chennai Super Kings since 2012, will only be the third player to lead CSK,” said CSK in a statement on Thursday.
India’s World Cup-winning captain Dhoni has always been his own man when it comes to leaving captaincy or announcing his retirement.
He quit Test captaincy and also the five-day game in the middle of a series in Australia in 2014. And when he was sure Virat Kohli was ready to lead India across formats, Dhoni made way for him in 2017.
Though the inspirational leader carried on to play the IPL after announcing his international retirement in his inimitable style, his decision to hand over the CSK leadership to Jadeja was not entirely surprising.
Dhoni knew that he can’t go on forever and the 33-year-old Jadeja, who is at the peak of his prowess, is ready for the challenge. The southpaw was CSK’s number one retention before the auction ahead of Dhoni, Moeen Ali and Ruturaj Gaekwad.
Inputs from PTI
