‘This is your team, make your own…’ - Ruturaj Gaikwad reveals how MS Dhoni caught him by surprise ahead of IPL 2024

Ruturaj Gaikwad is set to lead Chennai Super Kings for the second time in the upcoming Champions Trophy 2025 tournament. The 28-year-old was named the captain of the five-time champions last season with MS Dhoni stepping down. This was the second time in three seasons that Dhoni had stepped down as the skipper. 

Gaikwad, though was caught off guard with the move to be named as the captain of the side. CSK who had come into the tournament as the defending champions were knocked out in the league phase of the tournament. Royal Challengers Bengaluru beat CSK in the final game of the season to qualify for the playoffs at the expense of their arch-rivals. 

Speaking to JioHotstar, the 28-year-old said, “Just a week before the tournament last year, MS Dhoni came up to me and said ‘I’m not leading this year, you are. I was taken back, asking ‘from the first game? are you sure’. With just a few days to prepare, it was overwhelming.”

The young captain though was given huge piece of advice by the former skipper who said, “But he assured me. ‘This is your team, make your own decisions, I wont interfere-except when field placements 50-50 call. Even then it’s not a compulsion to follow my advice. That trust meant a lot to me.”

Final season for Mahendra Singh Dhoni in IPL?

This is the 18th season for former Indian captain MS Dhoni and his 16th with Chennai Super Kings. There is a good chance that Dhoni could bow out and call time on his career at the end of the season. At 43, Dhoni has seen fitness plague him as it was evident last season. 

Former India skipper Anil Kumble speaking to JioHotstar made a bold statement when he said, “With Ruturaj leading the side, this could be a season where Dhoni may not even take the field. He might still be part of the squad, thanks to retention rules, and with the impact player rule, his presence can still be valuable without playing every game.”

Aakash Chopra and Ajay Jadeja speaking on the same channel praised the love Chennai has for their favorite star. Aakash Chopra said, “The bond between Chennai and Dhoni is truly heartwarming. It’s rare for a player from another city to be embraced so completely as one of their own.”

Ajay Jadeja chimed in and said, “It’s been a beautiful journey. IPL started in 2008, every team had it’s own icon. Yuvraj Singh for Punjab, Virender Sehwag for Delhi. No one could have imagined back then that Dhoni would become the son of Chennai.”