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Cricket Players'Jadeja might have thought about leaving CSK..': Ex-KKR opener reacts to all-rounder's ascension to captaincy
IPL 2022: Ravindra Jadeja was appointed as Chennai Super Kings' new captain on Thursday.
The 2022 Indian Premier League begins with the blockbuster clash between Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in Mumbai. However, merely two days ahead of the scheduled start of the tournament, the CSK dropped a stunning announcement – that of Mahendra Singh Dhoni stepping down from captaincy. Dhoni, who had led the side since 2008 (barring the 2016 and 2017 seasons when CSK were banned), won four IPL titles with the Super Kings and handed over the leadership role to all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja.
However, the wicketkeeper-batter will continue to be a part of the team for “this season and beyond,” according to a statement from CSK.
Jadeja, one of the key members of the franchise over the past many years, was the first player to be retained by the CSK ahead of the mega auction earlier this year. A left-handed batter and a left-arm bowler, Jadeja is widely considered to be one of the best spin all-rounders in the world at the moment.
And hence, former India opener Aakash Chopra believes that Jadeja “might have” considered leaving the Chennai Super Kings if he wasn't offered the captaincy role. The upcoming edition will the Jadeja's first as captain of an IPL franchise.
"Ravindra Jadeja might have thought about leaving CSK, considering that Gujarat Titans might have made him the captain, as he is the local boy," Aakash said on his official YouTube channel.
“But he decided to stick with Chennai. It is going to be very interesting because there are already a lot of new captains (in this year's IPL). But for CSK, whosoever is the skipper, Dhoni will be the one at the helm.”
The former India opener who played for the Knight Riders in the inaugural edition of IPL, Aakash believes that it will be tough for Jadeja during the initial few games as captain but the process will be smoothened due to the presence of “guide” Dhoni.
"Just like any other captain, Jadeja will also take some time to get used to the post," he said. "But he has MS Dhoni to guide him. Initially, it was CSK's MS Dhoni, but it then became MS Dhoni's CSK."
