Live Score
Cricket Teams
Cricket Players
'Almost confirmed now that he won't play next year': Ex-India opener makes bold claim on 'king' MS Dhoni's future
IPL 2022: MS Dhoni led Chennai Super Kings to four titles in the IPL before passing the baton over to all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja.
In a bombshell development, Chennai Super Kings said on Thursday that MS Dhoni has over the captaincy to Ravindra Jadeja after making the team one of the most successful since the league started in 2008. Dhoni, 40, who led the team to four IPL titles and five runners-up finishes, will continue to represent Chennai but only as a player in the lucrative T20 league.
Apart from a two-year break when the franchise was suspended, Dhoni played a key role in Chennai's IPL success with his astute leadership sense and calm demeanour. He had announced his international retirement on August 15, 2020, and Dhoni continued the trend by announcing his exit from CSK captaincy in an inimitable fashion. But his decision to hand over the leadership to Jadeja raises questions over his IPL future.
ALSO READ | CSK CEO addresses MS Dhoni's future, reveals whether he will play next year's IPL after giving up captaincy
Former India opener Aakash Chopra believes the upcoming edition could be the talismanic cricketer's last season in the T20 league. He also pointed out how Dhoni wasn't keen on being Chennai's first-choice retention before the recent mega auctions.
Jadeja was the first pick for ₹16 crore while Dhoni took home ₹12 crore. Moeen Ali was retained for ₹8 crore while Ruturaj Gaikwad bagged ₹6 crore.
"MS Dhoni has declared that he is no longer the king and he will now only be a person in the kingdom who'll serve the king. But the reality is that he is the king and the captain. He is the king of CSK. It is almost confirmed now that he won't play next year.
"Earlier this year too, I'm sure he did not want the franchise to retain him as spending money on retaining him would not have made the team stronger, as he may not be there for next season. This is why he asked Jadeja to be the first retainee, as he might not stay if he is not given ₹16 crore," Chopra said on his YouTube channel.
The former Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) player also underlined Dhoni's attitude as a player, saying the wicketkeeper-batter won't dictate the proceedings unless his captain asks him for help. The World Cup-winning captain led CSK since the tournament's inception in 2008 -- barring the two seasons when the team was suspended in the wake of the spot-fixing scandal.
"When MS Dhoni is not the captain, he becomes non-intrusive. He will only talk when needed or when you go to him. He's is not someone who'll walk up to you and impose his opinions. He prefers to be on the sidelines until someone walks up to him for advice," Chopra further said.
"I'll miss him at the tosses and his comments during the post-match presentations. Even when the presenters ask tricky questions, he dodges them well with his words. I don't think he won't take a break and he will play all the matches."
Defending champions Chennai Super Kings will kick off the 15th edition of the Indian Premier League against former winners Kolkata Knight Riders on Saturday.
