Since the beginning of IPL in 2008, MS Dhoni has been the face of Chennai Super Kings. In 2021, he led CSK to their fourth IPL title and was one of the four players retained by the franchise ahead of the 2022 season, and he was retained for ₹12 crore. Although it has been quite sometime since he retired from Team India, he hasn't yet quit CSK. Last season, he handed over the team's captaincy to Ravindra Jadeja, but had to take over the role midway through the campaign due to poor performances.
Despite Dhoni captaining for this season too, CSK have been building for the transition, once he retired. The franchise purchased Ben Stokes in this year's auction for ₹16.25 crore, and he has been heralded as Dhoni's successor for CSK captaincy. Other than Stokes, even opener Ruturaj Gaikwad is considered to be a viable option, alongwith Jadeja.
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Especially with rumours increasing that this could be 41-year-old Dhoni's last season, fans and experts have begun to predict CSK's next skipper. But former India and CSK batter Murali Vijay had a different take on the situation and asked people ot to put so much pressure on Dhoni.
Speaking on Sportskeeda, he said, "It’s an individual choice. It’s high time people understand what a cricketer is going through. He’s served our country for about 15 years. So we should be giving him space to take that call, rather than putting pressure by asking when he’s going to retire. It’s very harsh for y'all to ask this question. Everybody is asking about MS’ retirement."
{{/usCountry}}Speaking on Sportskeeda, he said, "It’s an individual choice. It’s high time people understand what a cricketer is going through. He’s served our country for about 15 years. So we should be giving him space to take that call, rather than putting pressure by asking when he’s going to retire. It’s very harsh for y'all to ask this question. Everybody is asking about MS’ retirement."
{{/usCountry}}"It is so sad for me to sit and answer it. I have retired recently, so I know how it feels. We have given our heart and soul to this game and it’s a personal choice, and I want to tell people to maintain that little bit of privacy", he further added.
In their latest IPL 2023 fixture, Chennai defeated Royal Challengers Bangalore by eight runs and are now third in the points table. In five matches, they have registered six points, packed with three wins and two defeats. For their next match, CSK are scheduled to face Sunrisers Hyderabad in Match 29, on Friday.