In 2022, Chennai Super Kings took their first big step towards transition when MS Dhoni shockingly stepped down as captain on the eve of their season opener to hand over the reins to Ravindra Jadeja. However, the hopes came crashing down within a month as Chennai managed just two wins in the first eight matches, amid a significant dip in Jadeja's form. Midway through the season, Jadeja stepped down, handing the duties back to Dhoni, which eventually sparked a major fiasco, with reports hinting at a rift between the two senior players.
For the first time since the incident, Jadeja opened up on the "difficult" stint as a captain of Chennai, admitting that he could have done things differently.
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"It was difficult. In T20 cricket, every ball is an event. It is a fast game but for me it was an experience. I could have done better. As a captain, if you are team is not doing well then all the blame always falls on the captaincy. Thinking, bowling changes, fielding chances. Unfortunately, the team was not doing well. If we were winning and everyone was contributing, then it was not rocket science," Jadeja said in conversation with Chennai teammate Ravichandran Ashwin on the 'Kutti Stories With Ash' YouTube show.
How did Jadeja fare during his captaincy?
An underwhelming season from Chennai and a faltering form of Jadeja forced the all-rounder to resign from his captaincy post in order to "focus more on his game" and "requested Dhoni to lead CSK." Jadeja had reportedly had a conversation with head coach Stephen Fleming and Dhoni before taking the call. N Srinivasan, Super Kings' owner, was also consulted on the matter.
{{/usCountry}}An underwhelming season from Chennai and a faltering form of Jadeja forced the all-rounder to resign from his captaincy post in order to "focus more on his game" and "requested Dhoni to lead CSK." Jadeja had reportedly had a conversation with head coach Stephen Fleming and Dhoni before taking the call. N Srinivasan, Super Kings' owner, was also consulted on the matter.
{{/usCountry}}Overall, Jadeja managed just 112 runs in eight games, averaging 22.4 at a strike rate of 121.7, a sharp decline in his form, having amassed 459 runs in the previous two seasons at an average of 57.3 and a strike rate of 157.7. His bowling, on the other hand, was also affected. Having picked 19 wickets in the last two seasons at an economy rate of 7.7, he managed only five wickets during his captaincy tenure, at 42.6 and an economy rate of 8.1.