Speculation surrounding MS Dhoni's future with the Chennai Super Kings has reached fever pitch, with former cricketing great AB de Villiers suggesting that the iconic World Cup-winning captain should continue leading his team should he opt to participate in another IPL season.
Under Dhoni's illustrious leadership, CSK has clinched five IPL titles, fostering a bond between him and the franchise that is unparalleled. However, as Dhoni passes the baton of captaincy to Ruturaj Gaikwad before the IPL 2024 opener, questions loom over his role going forward. Although Gaikwad showcased commendable skills both as a captain and a batsman, CSK's failure to qualify for the playoffs has intensified discussions about Dhoni's future.
Having bid adieu to international cricket in 2020, Dhoni's IPL journey remains a topic of much debate, with his intentions leaving fans and pundits guessing. AB de Villiers, while acknowledging Gaikwad's capabilities, expressed his opinion on the captaincy change at the onset of the season and reiterated his stance during a media interaction.
De Villiers clarified, "I will only give you an honest answer if you're going to report it in the right way yes so I wouldn't say I called it a mistake. What I meant by that was with MS Dhoni around, playing against MS for so many years, that is the most intimidating sight to have him as an opposing captain."
He continued, "They took away quite a bit of intimidation factor from CSK with not having him as captain. It's got nothing to do with Gaikwad’s captaincy. I actually think he's got a very bright future and he captained extremely well. But just having MS around, I always felt like it's going to be a waste not having him as captain."
Reflecting on CSK's past experiments with captaincy changes mid-season, de Villiers emphasized the importance of results. "But just having MS around, I always felt like it's going to be a waste not having him as captain. They tried it before. It didn't work (when Jadeja was replaced mid season). And unfortunately this year, yes, you've got to look at the results."
Concluding his thoughts, he added, "The majority of the games they played well, but at the end of the day they didn't qualify for the knockouts. It's definitely not because of Gaikwad's captaincy. I do however ever feel that when MS is around he should be captain."
