MS Dhoni took everyone by surprise when he announced just before the start of the IPL that he was stepping down as Chennai Super Kings captain, with Ravindra Jadeja assuming the role.
Dhoni had been the longstanding skipper of the Chennai Super Kings, as he had been the captain since 2008, but he will be succeeded by in the position by another experienced pair of hands.
Of course, Dhoni, 40, has been an ever-reliable presence with the bat, and he probably would have liked to have had another IPL success under his belt as Chennai Super Kings captain after presiding over four triumphs in the tournament, two of which have arrived in the past four years.
More intriguingly, it has transpired that Dhoni had talks with Chennai Super Kings coach Stephen Fleming over the captaincy last season.
Explaining what happened during the discussions, Fleming said: “We talked about it. Something MS and I talked about even last season, during the last season.
“The timing was MS’ call. He wanted to give Jadeja a clean slate going into the series. It was communicated with Mr Srinivasan and then to the team.
“We 100% respect that. It is going to be a bit of a transition period as we develop a relationship with Jadeja and also have MS there.”
The key here, is that the Chennai Super Kings will have a ‘transition period, and they will have to adjust to life after the Dhoni era.However, the veteran batsman hasn’t completely withdrawn from the set-up, and he will still be instrumental during the IPL.
Of course, it will be fascinating to see how the Chennai Super Kings perform in this IPL tournament, as well as in future editions. Naturally, the IPL attracts a lot of attention from fans and top betting sites around the world that will carry outright and match betting lines. For example, this is apparent when conducting a Unibet Australia review, as they are well versed in covering and providing odds for the IPL.
Regardless, the Chennai Super Kings have plenty of strength in depth, and Dhoni’s resignation as captain shouldn’t derail the side.
Nevertheless, the shock decision may have upset the team, who would have been very close to Dhoni.However, this is a brave new era for the Chennai Super Kings with Jadeja in charge.
If the team can buy into Jadeja’s ideas quickly, then the Chennai Super Kings will be competitive, and they could be a force to be reckoned with in the years to come.
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