While the Chennai Super Kings prepare for the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL) season, there’s still much uncertainty around MS Dhoni’s replacement. In 2022, Ravindra Jadeja was allowed to lead CSK, but the plan failed so miserably that Dhoni had to be brought back to lead the team midway through the season. Even though it seems doubtful that Jadeja will lead the squad again, CSK is still looking for a replacement captain. Regarding the succession plan’ for MS Dhoni in the IPL 2024 auction, head coach Stephen Fleming responded in a way that caught some off guard. Scroll down to read IPL 2024: CSK Coach’s Unexpected Response over Dhoni.
IPL 2024: CSK Coach’s Unexpected Response Over Dhoni
Since 2008, Dhoni, who is recognized as one of the best captains in Indian cricket history, has been an essential part of the CSK squad. But Dhoni’s future in the game has been hotly debated in recent years, with many speculating that he would retire shortly. According to several media sources, Dhoni might decide to put up his boots after the tournament, and the 2023 IPL season would be his final IPL season.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the renowned captain of the Chennai Super Kings (CSK), has announced his retirement plans with a startling update from his head coach, Stephen Fleming. In contrast to the speculation in the media that Dhoni was retiring from the game, Fleming said that Dhoni had not mentioned retirement to him.
CSK Coach Stephen Fleming’s Unexpected Response
Fleming stated that although CSK has had succession plans for Dhoni for the previous ten years, he still leads the team with the same zeal during a press conference at the auction in Dubai.
“We have around ten years’ worth of succession plans for MS. He is as interested and eager as I have seen him in a long time, but it will undoubtedly be a discussion subject. We’ll keep going as long as that passion for the team and franchise exists,” Fleming replied to the query.
Fleming was questioned if they saw New Zealand all-rounder Daryl Mitchell as a Ben Stokes successor after CSK acquired him in the auction. In an open answer, Fleming pointed out that Stokes isn’t too hard to replace because he only appeared in one game for CSK the previous season.
“He didn’t wear enormous shoes; he only played one game. Although Daryl is a different kind of player, his achievements during the previous 18 to 24 months have made this kind of payment justified. He is a player who is out of style and frequently gets overlooked. In addition to being a skilled bowler, he is competitive due to his ability to play spin. We can fit him into a role in Chepauk. He’s a wonderful buy for us and fits in well, just like his performances,” he remarked.
It’s important to note that Dhoni has been playing well for CSK during the current IPL 2023 season. His leadership qualities and capacity for composure under duress have been essential to CSK’s success in the competition. Regarding Dhoni’s retirement from the game, a lot of rumors have been floating around.
