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Suresh Raina gives his verdict on Ben Stokes being next CSK captain after MS Dhoni
With CSK roping in England all-rounder Ben Stokes for a whopping INR 16.25 crore at the mini auction in Kochi on Friday, the move has left fans wondering if he is the true heir to the throne.
Chennai Super Kings have been in search for MS Dhoni's replacement as a captain. They went with Ravindra Jadeja before the start of the 2022 season, but with CSK getting off to a forgettable start, Dhoni had to take over the reigns again. However, with the four-time IPL winners roping in England all-rounder Ben Stokes for a whopping INR 16.25 crore at the mini auction in Kochi on Friday, the move has left fans wondering if he is the true heir to the throne.
After an intense bidding war with Lucknow Super Giants, Sunrisers Hyderabad, Rajasthan Royals and Royal Challengers Bangalore, CSK, who earlier missed roping in Sam Curran and Jason Holder, found themselves third time luck when they acquired Stokes, making the England Test captain the the third most-expensive player at 2023 IPL auction.
Speaking to CricketNext, Suresh Raina, a former CSK star, opined that Dhoni would definitely groom Stokes as a future captain, hinting that the latter might take over the role in the 2024 season.
ALSO READ: IPL Auction 2023: Final updated squads of all 10 franchises after frantic bidding day
"Surely, MS will groom Stokes. He is a world champion and did really very well in the T20 World Cup for the team. He also led his team to a Test series win in Pakistan. So, he is in a good frame of mind. Also, his cricketing brain will be very useful for the youngsters at the Chennai camp. The Chennai crowd is going to love him. I just hope he enjoys and does a lot of 'Whistle Podu' for CSK," he said.
This will also be the first time that an IPL team would have Dhoni, Ajinkya Rahane and Stokes in the same dressing room after IPL 2017 where they had played for Rising Pune Supergiants.
"Both Ben Stokes and Ajinkya Rahane have shared the dressing room with Dhoni bhai for the Pune franchise. It's a very-very good pick. Also, Mumbai Indians getting Sam Curran and Cameron Green; if someone can replace Kieron Pollard in the MI camp, it has to be Green. And when this Mumbai Indians team will play at their home ground, it's going to be fireworks all around," Raina told News18 Cricketnext.
