Credit: BCCI/X
Ruturaj Gaikwad is set to lead for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) for the second consecutive season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) in 2025. The opening batter was announced as new skipper for the five-time champions just a day before the start of the IPL 2024 after MS Dhoni decided to step down from the role. In his recent interview, Gaikwad recalled what Dhoni said to him before handing him over the CSK captaincy ahead of IPL last year.
Ruturaj Gaikwad said that he felt ‘overwhelmed’ handed him over the CSK captaincy and couldn’t believe it at first as Dhoni told this to him just a week before the start of IPL 2024. “Just a week before the tournament last year, MS Dhoni came up to me and said, ‘I’m not leading this year you are.’ I was taken aback, asking, ‘From the first game? Are you sure?’ With just a few days to prepare, it was overwhelming," Gaikwad was quoted as saying by India Today.
Dhoni’s trust meant a lot to me: Ruturaj Gaikwad
Speaking further, Ruturaj Gaikwad also said that how Dhoni showed his trust towards him that helped Gaikwad to gain more confidence as a captain. "But he assured me, ‘This is your team. You make your own decisions. I won’t interfereexcept when field placements are a 50-50 call. Even then, it’s not a compulsion to follow my advice. That trust meant a lot to me,” Gaikwad said.
Notably, Ruturaj Gaikwad’s first season as CSk captain doesn’t went the way he wanted. Coming as the defending champions, CSK failed to qualify for the playoffs in IPL 2024 after losing their last league game against Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Now, Gaikwad will be looking to have a memorable season as captain in IPL 2025 with Dhoni’s guidance.
