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Cricket Players'Having carried that burden for so long...': AB de Villiers reacts to MS Dhoni stepping down as CSK captain
South Africa and RCB great AB de Villiers has shared his thoughts on MS Dhoni stepping down as CSK captain.
South Africa and Royal Challengers Bangalore great AB de Villiers has said that he is happy for MS Dhoni after the veteran wicketkeeper-batsman stepped down from his role as the captain of the Chennai Super Kings (CSK). Dhoni thus brought to an end a reign that began with the inaugural season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) with all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja taking his place. (ALSO READ | IPL 2022: Kohli, Du Plessis, Maxwell headline RCB's lackluster batting line-up; opportunity for Karthik & Hasaranga)
De Villiers, who was South Africa's captain as well, said that he is not surprised by Dhoni's move.
“I am not surprised by MS's move. I am actually quite happy for him,” said De Villiers to VUSport Scouts.
“Having carried that burden for so long, people might think that it is easy to be captain, but it really wears you down. You have sleepless nights sometimes, especially when you don't have good seasons. But I think he stepped away at exactly the right time, having won the last IPL.”
CSK failed to make it to the playoffs for the first time in the history of the IPL in the 2020 season. However, they stormed back to form by winning their fourth title in 2021. "The season before the last would have hurt him a lot. To come back and win the trophy and then say 'I’ll still play but someone else takes over and I'll be there to support', it’s the perfect move," said De Villiers.
Dhoni, 40, had retired from international cricket in August 2020 and De Villiers said that he is looking forward to seeing the veteran wicketkeeper-batsman just enjoy himself.
"I am excited to watch MS just enjoy himself, to hit those big sixes again. Not to think too much about strategies and having to monitor guys. He can just go out there and hit sixes and entertain the entire world with what he does best, and that is to play cricket and win games," he said.
