<p>Defending champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) continued their winning run at fortress Chepauk by defeating Gujarat Titans (GT), who fell short of 63 runs, chasing a daunting target of 207.&nbsp;</p>

<p>GT started the hunt decently as openers Wriddhiman Saha and Shubman Gill collected 28 runs in less than three overs. However, Deepak Chahar struck first as Gill (8) was pinned on the back leg, attempting an almighty heave, without gauging the bounce of the ball correctly.&nbsp;</p>

<p>After Gill's dismissal, Saha (21) didn't last long and was sent back to the hut by Chahar once again, who had scruffed the former Indian batter with a bouncer on the previous ball.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>Brought in as an impact player in place of Mohit Sharma, Sai Sudharsan (37) played a good hand but never really showed the intent to arrest the asking run rate which climbed rapidly throughout the innings.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>Although MS Dhoni didn't bat during the CSK innings, the 42-year-old superstar contributed by taking a splendid, diving catch to his right to send hard-hitter Vijay Shankar (12) packing.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">𝗩𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗠𝗦𝗗 😎<br />
<br />
An excellent diving grab behind the stumps and the home crowd erupts in joy💛<br />
<br />
Head to <a href="https://twitter.com/JioCinema?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JioCinema</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/StarSportsIndia?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@StarSportsIndia</a> to watch the match LIVE<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TATAIPL?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TATAIPL</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CSKvGT?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CSKvGT</a> <a href="https://t.co/n5AlXAw9Zg">pic.twitter.com/n5AlXAw9Zg</a></p>
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) <a href="https://twitter.com/IPL/status/1772668089986957549?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 26, 2024</a></blockquote>
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<p>From thereon it was a procession as GT failed to stage a comeback into the game.&nbsp; Matheesha Pathirana and Mustfizur Rahman combined to keep GT batters in check and got some important overs under their belt.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>CSK's stellar batting</strong></h2>

<p>Put into bat first by Gill after winning the toss, New Zealand's Rachin Ravindra came off the blocks in a turbo-charged manner. The Kiwi marauded the GT bowlers to all parts of the park and raced to 20-ball-46 before Rashid Khan managed to outfox him as Saha behind the sticks, stumped him.&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2024-csk-vs-gt-shubman-gill-produces-oops-moment-at-toss-changes-decision-to-bowl-due-confusion-watch-704571"><strong>WATCH: IPL 2024, CSK vs GT: Shubman Gill produces Oops moment at toss, changes decision to bowl due to confusion&nbsp;</strong></a></p>

<p>However, with the platform laid, CSK built on it and the likes of Gaikwad and Ajinkya Rahane kept the scoring rate intact. The highlight of the innings was Shivam Dube's promotion to no. 4 where he started off by thumping two consecutive sixes.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>The left-hander smashed a well-crafted fifty while rookie Sameer Rizvi took on Rashid and tonked him for 14 runs in one over. Ultimately, CSK posted a well above-par total which proved beyond the reach of visitors.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Playing XIs:&nbsp;</strong></p>

<p>Chennai Super Kings: Ruturaj Gaikwad(c), Rachin Ravindra, Ajinkya Rahane, Daryl Mitchell, Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, Sameer Rizvi, MS Dhoni(w), Deepak Chahar, Tushar Deshpande, Mustafizur Rahman</p>

<p>Gujarat Titans: Wriddhiman Saha(w), Shubman Gill(c), Azmatullah Omarzai, David Miller, Vijay Shankar, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Ravisrinivasan Sai Kishore, Umesh Yadav, Mohit Sharma, Spencer Johnson</p>


Defending champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) continued their winning run at fortress Chepauk by defeating Gujarat Titans (GT), who fell short of 63 runs, chasing a daunting target of 207.

Defending champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) continued their winning run at fortress Chepauk by defeating Gujarat Titans (GT), who fell short of 63 runs, chasing a daunting target of 207. GT started the hunt decently as openers Wriddhiman Saha and Shubman Gill collected 28 runs in less than three overs. However, Deepak Chahar struck first as Gill (8) was pinned on the back leg, attempting an almighty heave, without gauging the bounce of the ball correctly. After Gill's dismissal, Saha (21) didn't last long and was sent back to the hut by Chahar once again, who had scruffed the former Indian batter with a bouncer on the previous ball. Brought in as an impact player in place of Mohit Sharma, Sai Sudharsan (37) played a good hand but never really showed the intent to arrest the asking run rate which climbed rapidly throughout the innings. Although MS Dhoni didn't bat during the CSK innings, the 42-year-old superstar contributed by taking a splendid, diving catch to his right to send hard-hitter Vijay Shankar (12) packing. 𝗩𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗠𝗦𝗗 😎 An excellent diving grab behind the stumps and the home crowd erupts in joy💛 Head to @JioCinema and @StarSportsIndia to watch the match LIVE#TATAIPL | #CSKvGT pic.twitter.com/n5AlXAw9Zg — IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) March 26, 2024 × From thereon it was a procession as GT failed to stage a comeback into the game. Matheesha Pathirana and Mustfizur Rahman combined to keep GT batters in check and got some important overs under their belt. CSK's stellar batting Put into bat first by Gill after winning the toss, New Zealand's Rachin Ravindra came off the blocks in a turbo-charged manner. The Kiwi marauded the GT bowlers to all parts of the park and raced to 20-ball-46 before Rashid Khan managed to outfox him as Saha behind the sticks, stumped him. WATCH: IPL 2024, CSK vs GT: Shubman Gill produces Oops moment at toss, changes decision to bowl due to confusion However, with the platform laid, CSK built on it and the likes of Gaikwad and Ajinkya Rahane kept the scoring rate intact. The highlight of the innings was Shivam Dube's promotion to no. 4 where he started off by thumping two consecutive sixes. The left-hander smashed a well-crafted fifty while rookie Sameer Rizvi took on Rashid and tonked him for 14 runs in one over. Ultimately, CSK posted a well above-par total which proved beyond the reach of visitors. Playing XIs: Chennai Super Kings: Ruturaj Gaikwad(c), Rachin Ravindra, Ajinkya Rahane, Daryl Mitchell, Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, Sameer Rizvi, MS Dhoni(w), Deepak Chahar, Tushar Deshpande, Mustafizur Rahman Gujarat Titans: Wriddhiman Saha(w), Shubman Gill(c), Azmatullah Omarzai, David Miller, Vijay Shankar, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Ravisrinivasan Sai Kishore, Umesh Yadav, Mohit Sharma, Spencer Johnson

IPL 2024: CSK secure 2nd consecutive victory at fortress Chepauk, beat GT by 63 runs

<p><strong>IPL 2024 Full Schedule:&nbsp;</strong>The wait is over as the BCCI has announced the complete schedule of IPL 2024 on Monday (March 25), having announced the first leg of it till April 7 earlier. As per the latest announcement, Chennai and Ahmedabad have been allotted the playoffs, with the final has been scheduled at Chepauk in Chennai on May 26. While the Narendra Modi Stadium will host the Qualifier 1 and Eliminator on May 21 and 22, respectively, Chepauk will host the Qualifier 2 and the summit clash.</p>

<h2><strong>IPL 2024 Full Schedule</strong></h2>

<p>The good part is that all 74 matches will be played in India, shrugging off the earlier reports of the competition moving out due to clash&nbsp;with general election dates in the country.&nbsp;</p>

<p>However, the second schedule begins on April 8, with Chennai Super Kings playing the first game against Kolkata Knight Riders in a home clash in the evening, starting at 7:30 pm. Chennai was also involved in the season opener against Royal Challengers Bengaluru on March 22, winning by four wickets at Chepauk.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/gt-vs-mi-ipl-2024-hardik-made-big-mistakes-irfan-unimpressed-with-mumbai-skippers-tactical-mistakes-704052">GT vs MI, IPL 2024: ‘Hardik made big mistakes’ - Irfan unimpressed with Mumbai skipper’s tactical errors</a></strong></p>

<p>Outside of the slated home venues for each team, two different venues in Dharamsala and Guwahati will also host a few matches. While Dharamsala was Punjab Kings’ alternative home venue for over a decade now, Guwahati has played hosts to Rajasthan Royals for the past few seasons.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Dharamsala will host two Punjab Kings matches on May 5 (against CSK) and May 9 (against RCB). The two matches in Guwahati will take place on May 15 (vs PBKS) and against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on May 19. Following a rare one day off on May 20, the playoffs will begin on May 21.</p>

<h2>The story thus far in IPL 2024</h2>

<p>The defending champions Chennai Super Kings have won their opening clash against their Southern rivals on day one. While Punjab won their first game this season against Delhi Capitals at their new home venue, KKR won a close tie against SRH at the Eden Gardens.&nbsp;</p>

<p>On Sunday (March 24), Rajasthan Royals beat Lucknow Super Giants in the afternoon game, and hosts Gujarat Titans got the better of Mumbai Indians in Ahmedabad later.&nbsp;</p>

<p>On Monday (March 25), RCB will take on PBKS in the home game in Bengaluru.&nbsp;</p>


IPL 2024 Full Schedule: The wait is over as the BCCI has announced the complete schedule of IPL 2024 on Monday (March 25), having announced the first leg of it till April 7 earlier.

IPL 2024 Full Schedule: The wait is over as the BCCI has announced the complete schedule of IPL 2024 on Monday (March 25), having announced the first leg of it till April 7 earlier. As per the latest announcement, Chennai and Ahmedabad have been allotted the playoffs, with the final has been scheduled at Chepauk in Chennai on May 26. While the Narendra Modi Stadium will host the Qualifier 1 and Eliminator on May 21 and 22, respectively, Chepauk will host the Qualifier 2 and the summit clash. IPL 2024 Full Schedule The good part is that all 74 matches will be played in India, shrugging off the earlier reports of the competition moving out due to clash with general election dates in the country. However, the second schedule begins on April 8, with Chennai Super Kings playing the first game against Kolkata Knight Riders in a home clash in the evening, starting at 7:30 pm. Chennai was also involved in the season opener against Royal Challengers Bengaluru on March 22, winning by four wickets at Chepauk. ALSO READ: GT vs MI, IPL 2024: ‘Hardik made big mistakes’ - Irfan unimpressed with Mumbai skipper’s tactical errors Outside of the slated home venues for each team, two different venues in Dharamsala and Guwahati will also host a few matches. While Dharamsala was Punjab Kings’ alternative home venue for over a decade now, Guwahati has played hosts to Rajasthan Royals for the past few seasons. Dharamsala will host two Punjab Kings matches on May 5 (against CSK) and May 9 (against RCB). The two matches in Guwahati will take place on May 15 (vs PBKS) and against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on May 19. Following a rare one day off on May 20, the playoffs will begin on May 21. The story thus far in IPL 2024 The defending champions Chennai Super Kings have won their opening clash against their Southern rivals on day one. While Punjab won their first game this season against Delhi Capitals at their new home venue, KKR won a close tie against SRH at the Eden Gardens. On Sunday (March 24), Rajasthan Royals beat Lucknow Super Giants in the afternoon game, and hosts Gujarat Titans got the better of Mumbai Indians in Ahmedabad later. On Monday (March 25), RCB will take on PBKS in the home game in Bengaluru.

IPL 2024 Full Schedule - Final in Chepauk; Chennai, Ahmedabad to host playoffs

<p>Ravindra Jadeja is set to receive a standing ovation from the home fans during the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and the Gujarat Titans (GT) match in the Indian Premier League (IPL) on Tuesday (Mar 26). The two rivals will meet in a repeat of last season’s final where CSK beat GT on the final ball of an extended final. To pay tribute to Jadeja’s services over the years, fans will pay a standing ovation at 7:38 pm at the M. A. Chidambaram Stadium.</p>

<h2><strong>Fans to give&nbsp;standing&nbsp;ovation</strong></h2>

<p>Jadeja, who first joined CSK in 2012 has been a loyal player to the franchise and only spent time away&nbsp;when they were banned for two years. Since Jadeja wears kit number eight for CSK, the fans have reportedly decided to pay the standing ovation in the eighth minute of the match at 7:38 pm&nbsp;at the iconic A. Chidambaram Stadium.</p>

<p>Over the years in 174 matches for the five-time IPL champions, he has scored 3749 runs at an average of 27.67 while scalping 152 wickets.</p>

<p>Jadeja hit the winning runs last time CSK and GT crossed paths, which was the final of the IPL 2023. With 10 runs needed on the final two balls, it was Jadeja who fired home his team at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Not only has he been a good bowler and batter, but he has also contributed to the side’s winning momentum on the field.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2024-virat-kohli-comes-at-par-with-ms-dhoni-in-elite-list-after-rcb-beat-pbks-704380">IPL 2024: Virat Kohli comes at par with MS Dhoni in elite list after RCB beat PBKS</a></p>

<h2><strong>Jadeja's poor IPL 2022</strong></h2>

<p>He was given the captaincy of the CSK side on the eve of the IPL 2022, however, poor form leading the side and injury saw his season being curtailed. He had to relinquish the captaincy to MS Dhoni in the midway point of the season and there were talks of him being out of the side. However, the IPL 2023 saw a fresh Jadeja who helped the side clinch their fifth title. Only Dwayne Bravo has scalped more wickets for the side in the history of the IPL.</p>

<h2><strong>CSK Probable Playing XI</strong></h2>

<p>Chennai Super Kings playing XI: RD Gaikwad (C), Rachin Ravindra, Ajinkya Rahane, DJ Mitchell, RA Jadeja, Sameer Rizvi, MS Dhoni (wk), DL Chahar, M Theekshana, Mustafizur Rahman, TU Deshpande</p>


Ravindra Jadeja is set to receive a standing ovation from the home fans during the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and the Gujarat Titans (GT) match in the Indian Premier League (IPL) on Tuesday (Mar 26).

Ravindra Jadeja is set to receive a standing ovation from the home fans during the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and the Gujarat Titans (GT) match in the Indian Premier League (IPL) on Tuesday (Mar 26). The two rivals will meet in a repeat of last season’s final where CSK beat GT on the final ball of an extended final. To pay tribute to Jadeja’s services over the years, fans will pay a standing ovation at 7:38 pm at the M. A. Chidambaram Stadium. Fans to give standing ovation Jadeja, who first joined CSK in 2012 has been a loyal player to the franchise and only spent time away when they were banned for two years. Since Jadeja wears kit number eight for CSK, the fans have reportedly decided to pay the standing ovation in the eighth minute of the match at 7:38 pm at the iconic A. Chidambaram Stadium. Over the years in 174 matches for the five-time IPL champions, he has scored 3749 runs at an average of 27.67 while scalping 152 wickets. Jadeja hit the winning runs last time CSK and GT crossed paths, which was the final of the IPL 2023. With 10 runs needed on the final two balls, it was Jadeja who fired home his team at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Not only has he been a good bowler and batter, but he has also contributed to the side’s winning momentum on the field. ALSO READ | IPL 2024: Virat Kohli comes at par with MS Dhoni in elite list after RCB beat PBKS Jadeja's poor IPL 2022 He was given the captaincy of the CSK side on the eve of the IPL 2022, however, poor form leading the side and injury saw his season being curtailed. He had to relinquish the captaincy to MS Dhoni in the midway point of the season and there were talks of him being out of the side. However, the IPL 2023 saw a fresh Jadeja who helped the side clinch their fifth title. Only Dwayne Bravo has scalped more wickets for the side in the history of the IPL. CSK Probable Playing XI Chennai Super Kings playing XI: RD Gaikwad (C), Rachin Ravindra, Ajinkya Rahane, DJ Mitchell, RA Jadeja, Sameer Rizvi, MS Dhoni (wk), DL Chahar, M Theekshana, Mustafizur Rahman, TU Deshpande

IPL 2024: Ravindra Jadeja to receive standing ovation from Chennai fans during CSK-GT clash

<p>It was yet another disappointing outing for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at Chennai Super Kings’ (CSK) home ground M. A. Chidambaram Stadium as they failed to win on the opening day of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 season. A defeat that sees RCB winless at the coveted home of their South Indian rivals since 2008 had a silver lining on the dark cloud despite making a good start to the match. After the defeat on Friday (Mar 22), skipper Faf du Plessis accepted that his team was always behind in the contest having lost momentum with the bat.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Taking off from where it ended! 🥳<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CSKvRCB?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CSKvRCB</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WhistlePodu?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WhistlePodu</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Yellove?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Yellove</a> <a href="https://t.co/gSS5jCmOv4">pic.twitter.com/gSS5jCmOv4</a></p>
— Chennai Super Kings (@ChennaiIPL) <a href="https://twitter.com/ChennaiIPL/status/1771243785315348724?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 22, 2024</a></blockquote>
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<h2><strong>Faf reflects on defeat</strong></h2>

<p>"Unfortunately, we lost a little bit too many wickets in that first seven overs, which meant that the guys needed to bat a little bit and stable the innings again," du Plessis said on the official broadcast after the game.</p>

<p>"And, at the end, I felt we were 15 or 20 runs short on a pitch that wasn't as bad as we played in the first ten overs," he further said.</p>

<p>"When you play here, you feel like you have to almost get ahead of the game a little bit in that first six overs because CSK is a very good team in the middle overs. For so many years, they squeeze you with the spinners,"&nbsp;du Plessis added.</p>

<h2><strong>CSK make winning start</strong></h2>

<p>Having won the toss, RCB made a good start with Faf (35 off 23) and Virat Kohli (21 off 20) putting CSK bowlers under pressure, however, a spell of three wickets in two overs completely changed the landscape of the innings. The visitors were soon narrowed to 42/3 despite being 41/0 and looking in good nick. The poor spell saw Glenn Maxwell and Rajat Patidar depart for ducks before a late rescue act from wicketkeeper-batter Anuj Rawat (48 off 25) and veteran Dinesh Karthik (38 off 26) saw RCB end with 173/6.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2024-chennai-maintain-winning-run-against-rcb-at-chepauk-beat-rivals-in-curtain-raiser-703266">IPL 2024: Chennai maintain winning run against RCB at Chepauk, beat rivals in curtain raiser</a></p>

<p>However, the total was not enough with CSK too making a good start with the bat. In a complete team performance, everyone contributed with the bat as the home side won with eight balls to spare. Ruturaj Gaikwad (15), Rachin Ravindra (37 off 15), Ajinkya Rahane (27), Daryl Mitchell (22), Shivam Dube (unbeaten 34) and Ravindra Jadeja (unbeaten 25), helped CSK steer to an opening day victory.</p>

<p>CSK next take on Gujarat Titans&nbsp;at the same venue in Chennai on Tuesday. On the other hand, RCB will look to get their first win of the season when they next take on Punjab Kings in their first home game of the season on Monday in Bengaluru.</p>


It was yet another disappointing outing for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at Chennai Super Kings’ (CSK) home ground M. A. Chidambaram Stadium as they failed to win on the opening day of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 season.

It was yet another disappointing outing for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at Chennai Super Kings’ (CSK) home ground M. A. Chidambaram Stadium as they failed to win on the opening day of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 season. A defeat that sees RCB winless at the coveted home of their South Indian rivals since 2008 had a silver lining on the dark cloud despite making a good start to the match. After the defeat on Friday (Mar 22), skipper Faf du Plessis accepted that his team was always behind in the contest having lost momentum with the bat. Taking off from where it ended! 🥳#CSKvRCB #WhistlePodu #Yellove pic.twitter.com/gSS5jCmOv4 — Chennai Super Kings (@ChennaiIPL) March 22, 2024 × Faf reflects on defeat "Unfortunately, we lost a little bit too many wickets in that first seven overs, which meant that the guys needed to bat a little bit and stable the innings again," du Plessis said on the official broadcast after the game. "And, at the end, I felt we were 15 or 20 runs short on a pitch that wasn't as bad as we played in the first ten overs," he further said. "When you play here, you feel like you have to almost get ahead of the game a little bit in that first six overs because CSK is a very good team in the middle overs. For so many years, they squeeze you with the spinners," du Plessis added. CSK make winning start Having won the toss, RCB made a good start with Faf (35 off 23) and Virat Kohli (21 off 20) putting CSK bowlers under pressure, however, a spell of three wickets in two overs completely changed the landscape of the innings. The visitors were soon narrowed to 42/3 despite being 41/0 and looking in good nick. The poor spell saw Glenn Maxwell and Rajat Patidar depart for ducks before a late rescue act from wicketkeeper-batter Anuj Rawat (48 off 25) and veteran Dinesh Karthik (38 off 26) saw RCB end with 173/6. ALSO READ | IPL 2024: Chennai maintain winning run against RCB at Chepauk, beat rivals in curtain raiser However, the total was not enough with CSK too making a good start with the bat. In a complete team performance, everyone contributed with the bat as the home side won with eight balls to spare. Ruturaj Gaikwad (15), Rachin Ravindra (37 off 15), Ajinkya Rahane (27), Daryl Mitchell (22), Shivam Dube (unbeaten 34) and Ravindra Jadeja (unbeaten 25), helped CSK steer to an opening day victory. CSK next take on Gujarat Titans at the same venue in Chennai on Tuesday. On the other hand, RCB will look to get their first win of the season when they next take on Punjab Kings in their first home game of the season on Monday in Bengaluru.

IPL 2024: We were always little bit behind - RCB skipper Faf du Plessis reflects on opening day defeat to CSK

<p>Two of India’s greatest cricketers, Sachin Tendulkar and MS Dhoni, have shared the dressing room for nearly a decade, sharing mutual admiration and respect for what they achieved on the cricket field during their playing days. Speaking on how he perceived Dhoni when he first burst onto the international scene during his maiden series in Bangladesh (in December 2004), Sachin said the sound of MS’ bat in the games made him realise his potential.</p>

<p>“First time I saw him was in Bangladesh. In one of the matches he played, one or two shots at the end, the kind of sound I heard from his bat, I immediately turned towards Sourav (Ganguly), sitting next to me and said, ‘There is something different when he hits the ball’,” Sachin Tendulkar revealed on Jio Insider.</p>

<p>Sachin further said given the power-hitter that MS Dhoni was, and the sound his bat used to make while striking the ball, everyone knew it would travel 10 yards extra into the stands.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/former-pcb-chairman-and-diplomat-shaharyar-khan-passes-away-at-89-703470">Former PCB chairman and diplomat Shaharyar Khan passes away at 89</a></strong></p>

<p>“The big hitters have this speciality, and when they connect it, you will think it is going to the distance, but it will travel 10 yards more. I saw that quality in his batting,” he added.</p>

<h2>Why did MS never sit with Sachin on the plane?</h2>

<p>Often being allotted the seat next to the mighty Sachin Tendulkar on the plane, MS Dhoni never used to sit there, instead asked someone else to swap it with him.&nbsp;</p>

<p>“Few players told me, most of the time in flight, his seat would be next to me, but he will switch it with some other players,” laughed Sachin.&nbsp;</p>

<p>“For few years, he never sat next to me. We started sitting next to each other later. I didn’t know that he was so shy, and that’s why he used to switch his seats,” Sachin revealed.&nbsp;</p>

<h2>When Sachin suggested BCCI to appoint MS as captain</h2>

<p>Following India’s shocking early exit from the 2007 World Cup in the West Indies, the BCCI reached out to Sachin to lead the Men in Blue in the white-ball set-up, including in the T20Is, but Sachin declined the offer immediately.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Instead, he urged the board to look at an unlikely candidate in MS Dhoni, whom he thought was the right man for the job going ahead. Shedding light on the same, Sachin said,&nbsp;“The BCCI offered me captaincy in 2007, but my body was in terrible shape.”&nbsp;</p>

<p>“My observation of MS Dhoni was very good. His mind is very stable, he’s calm, he’s instinctive, and makes the right decisions. I recommended him for the captaincy,” the Master Blaster revealed.</p>

<p>Meanwhile, MS Dhoni, 42, appeared in the IPL 2024 opener between Chennai Super Kings and Royal Challengers Bengaluru, a day after relinquishing his CSK captaincy to opener Ruturaj Gaikwad. CSK won the curtain raiser by six wickets.</p>


Two of India’s greatest cricketers, Sachin Tendulkar and MS Dhoni, have shared the dressing room for nearly a decade, sharing mutual admiration and respect for what they achieved on the cricket field during their playing days.

Two of India’s greatest cricketers, Sachin Tendulkar and MS Dhoni, have shared the dressing room for nearly a decade, sharing mutual admiration and respect for what they achieved on the cricket field during their playing days. Speaking on how he perceived Dhoni when he first burst onto the international scene during his maiden series in Bangladesh (in December 2004), Sachin said the sound of MS’ bat in the games made him realise his potential. “First time I saw him was in Bangladesh. In one of the matches he played, one or two shots at the end, the kind of sound I heard from his bat, I immediately turned towards Sourav (Ganguly), sitting next to me and said, ‘There is something different when he hits the ball’,” Sachin Tendulkar revealed on Jio Insider. Sachin further said given the power-hitter that MS Dhoni was, and the sound his bat used to make while striking the ball, everyone knew it would travel 10 yards extra into the stands. ALSO READ: Former PCB chairman and diplomat Shaharyar Khan passes away at 89 “The big hitters have this speciality, and when they connect it, you will think it is going to the distance, but it will travel 10 yards more. I saw that quality in his batting,” he added. Why did MS never sit with Sachin on the plane? Often being allotted the seat next to the mighty Sachin Tendulkar on the plane, MS Dhoni never used to sit there, instead asked someone else to swap it with him. “Few players told me, most of the time in flight, his seat would be next to me, but he will switch it with some other players,” laughed Sachin. “For few years, he never sat next to me. We started sitting next to each other later. I didn’t know that he was so shy, and that’s why he used to switch his seats,” Sachin revealed. When Sachin suggested BCCI to appoint MS as captain Following India’s shocking early exit from the 2007 World Cup in the West Indies, the BCCI reached out to Sachin to lead the Men in Blue in the white-ball set-up, including in the T20Is, but Sachin declined the offer immediately. Instead, he urged the board to look at an unlikely candidate in MS Dhoni, whom he thought was the right man for the job going ahead. Shedding light on the same, Sachin said, “The BCCI offered me captaincy in 2007, but my body was in terrible shape.” “My observation of MS Dhoni was very good. His mind is very stable, he’s calm, he’s instinctive, and makes the right decisions. I recommended him for the captaincy,” the Master Blaster revealed. Meanwhile, MS Dhoni, 42, appeared in the IPL 2024 opener between Chennai Super Kings and Royal Challengers Bengaluru, a day after relinquishing his CSK captaincy to opener Ruturaj Gaikwad. CSK won the curtain raiser by six wickets.

Sachin recollects watching MS Dhoni bat for first time; opens up on suggesting his name for captaincy in 2007

<p>Mustafizur Rahman picked four wickets on his CSK debut, and newcomer Rachin Ravindra shined as Chennai Super Kings beat Royal Challengers Bengaluru by six wickets in the IPL 2024 opener at home. CSK’s impact player, Shivam Dube, made all the difference as the home team maintained a winning run against their rivals.</p>

<p>Royal Challengers Bengaluru won the toss and elected to bat first at Chepauk. Unsurprisingly, the star pair of Faf du Plessis and Virat Kohli got RCB off to a flyer, adding 41 for the first wicket before Mustafizur Rahman struck twice in his first over to pull things back for CSK. Deepak Chahar removed Glenn Maxwell on a first-ball duck to further dent RCB’s momentum.</p>

<p>While Kohli stood his ground, completing 12,000 T20 runs and becoming the first Indian to do so, he got out to Mustafizur on 21. An excellent catch at deep mid-wicket by Ajinkya Rahane and Rachin resulted in his dismissal. The left-arm seamer quickly got the fish in Cameron Green, bowled on 18, to put RCB’s back against the wall.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2024-virat-kohli-enters-history-books-against-csk-becomes-1st-indian-to-complete-12000-t20-runs-703218">IPL 2024: Virat Kohli creates history, becomes 1st Indian to complete 12,000 runs in T20s</a></strong></p>

<p>When it looked like RCB might suffer a drastic fate at Chepauk, a 95-run-stand between two keeper batters, Anuj Rawat and veteran Dinesh Karthik, bailed RCB out of trouble, helping them put up a fighting total (173/6) on the board. While DK remained unbeaten on 38, the aggressor of the two, Rawat, got run out on the final ball of RCB’s innings on 48.</p>

<h2>New pair at top for CSK</h2>

<p>With Devon Conway ruled out with an injury, CSK played IPL debutant Rachin Ravindra at the top alongside Ruturaj. The pair launched from the first over, adding 38 for the first wicket in three overs. Yash Dayal broke the stand but failed to stop the flow of runs, as Rachin and Ajinkya Rahane added 33 in four overs to keep the home side ahead in the chase.</p>

<p>Though runs kept coming at one end, newcomer Green picked two wickets of Rahane and Daryl Mitchell, both off bouncers, to keep his team's chances alive.</p>

<p>The left-handed pair of impact players Shivam Dube and Ravindra Jadeja ensured CSK did not suffer any more hiccups, as they both got the team to cross the line with six wickets remaining.&nbsp;</p>

<p>While Jadeja remained unbeaten on 25, hitting just one six, Dube was the star player, smashing four fours and a six in his 34-run stay at the crease.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Chennai leads Bengaluru 8-1 in a head-to-head clash after this game.</p>


Mustafizur Rahman picked four wickets on his CSK debut, and newcomer Rachin Ravindra shined as Chennai Super Kings beat Royal Challengers Bengaluru by six wickets in the IPL 2024 opener at home.

Mustafizur Rahman picked four wickets on his CSK debut, and newcomer Rachin Ravindra shined as Chennai Super Kings beat Royal Challengers Bengaluru by six wickets in the IPL 2024 opener at home. CSK’s impact player, Shivam Dube, made all the difference as the home team maintained a winning run against their rivals. Royal Challengers Bengaluru won the toss and elected to bat first at Chepauk. Unsurprisingly, the star pair of Faf du Plessis and Virat Kohli got RCB off to a flyer, adding 41 for the first wicket before Mustafizur Rahman struck twice in his first over to pull things back for CSK. Deepak Chahar removed Glenn Maxwell on a first-ball duck to further dent RCB’s momentum. While Kohli stood his ground, completing 12,000 T20 runs and becoming the first Indian to do so, he got out to Mustafizur on 21. An excellent catch at deep mid-wicket by Ajinkya Rahane and Rachin resulted in his dismissal. The left-arm seamer quickly got the fish in Cameron Green, bowled on 18, to put RCB’s back against the wall. ALSO READ: IPL 2024: Virat Kohli creates history, becomes 1st Indian to complete 12,000 runs in T20s When it looked like RCB might suffer a drastic fate at Chepauk, a 95-run-stand between two keeper batters, Anuj Rawat and veteran Dinesh Karthik, bailed RCB out of trouble, helping them put up a fighting total (173/6) on the board. While DK remained unbeaten on 38, the aggressor of the two, Rawat, got run out on the final ball of RCB’s innings on 48. New pair at top for CSK With Devon Conway ruled out with an injury, CSK played IPL debutant Rachin Ravindra at the top alongside Ruturaj. The pair launched from the first over, adding 38 for the first wicket in three overs. Yash Dayal broke the stand but failed to stop the flow of runs, as Rachin and Ajinkya Rahane added 33 in four overs to keep the home side ahead in the chase. Though runs kept coming at one end, newcomer Green picked two wickets of Rahane and Daryl Mitchell, both off bouncers, to keep his team's chances alive. The left-handed pair of impact players Shivam Dube and Ravindra Jadeja ensured CSK did not suffer any more hiccups, as they both got the team to cross the line with six wickets remaining. While Jadeja remained unbeaten on 25, hitting just one six, Dube was the star player, smashing four fours and a six in his 34-run stay at the crease. Chennai leads Bengaluru 8-1 in a head-to-head clash after this game.

IPL 2024: Chennai maintain winning run against RCB at Chepauk, beat rivals in curtain raiser

<p>The 17th edition of the Indian Premier League is about to get underway, with two giants of the league – Chennai Super Kings and Royal Challengers Bengaluru, slated to face off in the curtain-raiser at Chepauk on Friday (March 22). While MS Dhoni relinquishing CSK’s captaincy on the eve of the IPL 2024 opener made headlines, the contest between the two powerhouses is one to look out for. Here is the match preview and result prediction of CSK vs RCB in IPL 2024.</p>

<h2>Will RCB break Chepauk jinx?</h2>

<p>The Royal Challengers Bangalore has never beaten Chennai at their home ground since 2008. With former CSK hero Faf du Plessis leading the RCB side against the home favourite, emotions and action will flare up.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2024-youve-to-respect-his-decision-csk-ceo-on-ms-dhoni-handing-over-captaincy-to-gaikwad-702800">IPL 2024: ‘You’ve to respect his decision’ – CSK CEO on MS Dhoni handing over captaincy to Gaikwad</a></strong></p>

<p>The travelling RCB side has a few new faces, with Australian all-rounder Cameron Green being an exciting addition to the squad. Veteran Virat Kohli is also returning to competitive cricket after nearly two months, and the fans in attendance will remain on their toes to watch some of the greats go up against each other.</p>

<p>A new-look bowling attack, led by Mohammed Siraj, will have a lot riding on their shoulders as RCB aims to walk into Chepauk to end their losing run against CSK.</p>

<h3>CSK ready to flourish under new captain Gaikwad</h3>

<p>MS Dhoni handing over the IPL captaincy to Ruturaj Gaikwad sent shockwaves to everyone in the cricket world, with the announcement coming on the eve of IPL 2024.&nbsp;</p>

<p>However, with a new face at the helm, Chennai Super Kings will embark on a new journey starting Friday at home.&nbsp;</p>

<p>With the addition of the new players to the side, including the Kiwi pair of Rachin Ravindra and Daryl Mitchell and Indian youngster Sameer Rizvi, CSK has a lot to look forward to this season.&nbsp;</p>

<h4>Result Prediction&nbsp;-</h4>

<p>At Chepauk, the IPL 2024 opener will be played on the centre wicket, which traditionally assists spinners. Considering the spin depth in CSK, they will walk in as favourites against the travelling RCB side.</p>

<p><strong>Predicted Playing XIs –</strong></p>

<p><strong>CSK -</strong> Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), Moeen Ali, Ajinkya Rahane, Rachin Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell, Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, MS Dhoni (wk), Shardul Thakur, Deepak Chahar and Maheesh Theekshana</p>

<p><strong>RCB -</strong>&nbsp;Faf du Plessis (c), Cameron Green, Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar, Glenn Maxwell, Suyash Prabhudessai, Dinesh Karthik (wk), Alzarri Joseph, Mayank Dagar, Akash Deep and Mohammed Siraj</p>


The 17th edition of the Indian Premier League is about to get underway, with two giants of the league – Chennai Super Kings and Royal Challengers Bengaluru, slated to face off in the curtain-raiser at Chepauk on Friday (March 22).

The 17th edition of the Indian Premier League is about to get underway, with two giants of the league – Chennai Super Kings and Royal Challengers Bengaluru, slated to face off in the curtain-raiser at Chepauk on Friday (March 22). While MS Dhoni relinquishing CSK’s captaincy on the eve of the IPL 2024 opener made headlines, the contest between the two powerhouses is one to look out for. Here is the match preview and result prediction of CSK vs RCB in IPL 2024. Will RCB break Chepauk jinx? The Royal Challengers Bangalore has never beaten Chennai at their home ground since 2008. With former CSK hero Faf du Plessis leading the RCB side against the home favourite, emotions and action will flare up. ALSO READ: IPL 2024: ‘You’ve to respect his decision’ – CSK CEO on MS Dhoni handing over captaincy to Gaikwad The travelling RCB side has a few new faces, with Australian all-rounder Cameron Green being an exciting addition to the squad. Veteran Virat Kohli is also returning to competitive cricket after nearly two months, and the fans in attendance will remain on their toes to watch some of the greats go up against each other. A new-look bowling attack, led by Mohammed Siraj, will have a lot riding on their shoulders as RCB aims to walk into Chepauk to end their losing run against CSK. CSK ready to flourish under new captain Gaikwad MS Dhoni handing over the IPL captaincy to Ruturaj Gaikwad sent shockwaves to everyone in the cricket world, with the announcement coming on the eve of IPL 2024. However, with a new face at the helm, Chennai Super Kings will embark on a new journey starting Friday at home. With the addition of the new players to the side, including the Kiwi pair of Rachin Ravindra and Daryl Mitchell and Indian youngster Sameer Rizvi, CSK has a lot to look forward to this season. Result Prediction - At Chepauk, the IPL 2024 opener will be played on the centre wicket, which traditionally assists spinners. Considering the spin depth in CSK, they will walk in as favourites against the travelling RCB side. Predicted Playing XIs – CSK - Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), Moeen Ali, Ajinkya Rahane, Rachin Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell, Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, MS Dhoni (wk), Shardul Thakur, Deepak Chahar and Maheesh Theekshana RCB - Faf du Plessis (c), Cameron Green, Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar, Glenn Maxwell, Suyash Prabhudessai, Dinesh Karthik (wk), Alzarri Joseph, Mayank Dagar, Akash Deep and Mohammed Siraj

IPL 2024, Chennai Super Kings vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Match 1: Match preview and result prediction

<p>In a sensational development on Thursday (Mar 21) afternoon, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) made a big announcement as skipper MS Dhoni stepped down from the captaincy on the eve of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 season. For the second time in three seasons, CSK, the joint-most successful franchise in the history of the tournament with five titles, opted to change captaincy with MS Dhoni stepping down to pave the way for Ruturaj Gaikwad to lead in IPL 2024. CSK head coach Stephen Fleming for the first time since the change in guard took to the media and opened up on the transition.</p>

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">"Feels Good! It's a privilege!" - Captain Rutu 🗣️🦁 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WhistlePodu?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WhistlePodu</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Yellove?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Yellove</a> 🦁💛 <a href="https://t.co/HPyWuEajIg">pic.twitter.com/HPyWuEajIg</a></p>
— Chennai Super Kings (@ChennaiIPL) <a href="https://twitter.com/ChennaiIPL/status/1770817078552928543?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 21, 2024</a></blockquote>
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<h2><strong>Ruturaj replaces Fleming</strong></h2>

<p>"It was MS [Dhoni's decision] with a lot of consideration and one view to the future on the back of a good season last year," Fleming said at the press conference on Thursday. "The timing was good. Behind the scenes, Ruturaj and others have been on a, say, a captaincy-grooming process, looking forward to days like this and the opportunities come up, but MS is the best judge and he felt the time was right."</p>

<p>This is not the first time CSK have opted to change captaincy on the eve of the tournament, having opted to hand Ravindra Jadeja the armband in the 2022 season. The move did not materialise well and saw Dhoni return to lead the side after Jadeja’s poor spell as captain was coupled with injury.</p>

<p>However, this time it is predicted that CSK are well prepared for the change in role with MS Dhoni likely to play in his final season with the franchise. According to Fleming, CSK have been pragmatic and avoided a repeat of previous mistakes.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/csk-full-updated-squad-ipl-2024-chennai-super-kings-probable-playing-xi-replacement-captain-schedule-702685">CSK Full Updated squad: IPL 2024, Chennai Super Kings probable playing XI, replacement, captain, schedule</a></p>

<p>"Well, the big thing about a couple of years ago was that we probably weren't ready for MS to move aside," Fleming said. "And what that did was probably shake us as a leadership group or coaches into looking at the possibility when he does go. And up until that stage, it was almost unthinkable, but it sowed the seed. So, we've worked pretty hard on making sure that any mistakes that were made during then aren't made again. And that the leadership isn't a secret."</p>

<h2><strong>CSK meet RCB in curtain raiser</strong></h2>

<p>The defending champions will raise the curtains for the IPL 2024 when they take on Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at the MA&nbsp;Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. RCB have not won at the venue against CSK since the inaugural season in 2008. The match will start at 7:30 pm with the toss taking place at 7:00 pm. The opening ceremony will start at 6:00 pm with several stars, including AR Rahman set to perform.</p>


In a sensational development on Thursday (Mar 21) afternoon, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) made a big announcement as skipper MS Dhoni stepped down from the captaincy on the eve of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 season.

In a sensational development on Thursday (Mar 21) afternoon, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) made a big announcement as skipper MS Dhoni stepped down from the captaincy on the eve of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 season. For the second time in three seasons, CSK, the joint-most successful franchise in the history of the tournament with five titles, opted to change captaincy with MS Dhoni stepping down to pave the way for Ruturaj Gaikwad to lead in IPL 2024. CSK head coach Stephen Fleming for the first time since the change in guard took to the media and opened up on the transition. "Feels Good! It's a privilege!" - Captain Rutu 🗣️🦁 #WhistlePodu #Yellove 🦁💛 pic.twitter.com/HPyWuEajIg — Chennai Super Kings (@ChennaiIPL) March 21, 2024 × Ruturaj replaces Fleming "It was MS [Dhoni's decision] with a lot of consideration and one view to the future on the back of a good season last year," Fleming said at the press conference on Thursday. "The timing was good. Behind the scenes, Ruturaj and others have been on a, say, a captaincy-grooming process, looking forward to days like this and the opportunities come up, but MS is the best judge and he felt the time was right." This is not the first time CSK have opted to change captaincy on the eve of the tournament, having opted to hand Ravindra Jadeja the armband in the 2022 season. The move did not materialise well and saw Dhoni return to lead the side after Jadeja’s poor spell as captain was coupled with injury. However, this time it is predicted that CSK are well prepared for the change in role with MS Dhoni likely to play in his final season with the franchise. According to Fleming, CSK have been pragmatic and avoided a repeat of previous mistakes. ALSO READ | CSK Full Updated squad: IPL 2024, Chennai Super Kings probable playing XI, replacement, captain, schedule "Well, the big thing about a couple of years ago was that we probably weren't ready for MS to move aside," Fleming said. "And what that did was probably shake us as a leadership group or coaches into looking at the possibility when he does go. And up until that stage, it was almost unthinkable, but it sowed the seed. So, we've worked pretty hard on making sure that any mistakes that were made during then aren't made again. And that the leadership isn't a secret." CSK meet RCB in curtain raiser The defending champions will raise the curtains for the IPL 2024 when they take on Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. RCB have not won at the venue against CSK since the inaugural season in 2008. The match will start at 7:30 pm with the toss taking place at 7:00 pm. The opening ceremony will start at 6:00 pm with several stars, including AR Rahman set to perform.

IPL 2024: CSK head coach Stephen Fleming backs MS Dhoni's decision to step down, says 'the timing was good'

<p>Chennai Super Kings will face Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the IPL 2024 curtain raiser at home, and cricket’s star boy Virat Kohli is excited for the Southern derby. Considered to be among the marquee matches in the tournament, CSK vs RCB is like the clash of the Titans. Speaking ahead of the opener on March 22 (Friday), Kohli said he cannot wait to take the field against CSK and meet his old teammate and former captain MS Dhoni.</p>

<p>"Playing against Chennai is obviously always a special occasion, a big game. You know, the Southern Derby, as they call it. Yeah, it's nice to play in front of very passionate Chennai fans, and yeah, good to catch up with MS Dhoni, it's been a while," Virat said on RCB’s bold diaries.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Meanwhile, Virat, being the top run-getter in the IPL&nbsp;with 7263 runs in 229 innings, including seven hundreds and 50 fifties, will be a threat to the home side in the IPL 2024 opener. Batting at the top alongside captain and former CSK hero Faf du Plessis, the pair will look to make it big and end RCB’s winless run in Chennai since 2008.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2024-there-wasnt-a-dry-eye-in-the-dressing-room-fleming-on-ms-dhonis-resignation-as-csk-captain-703080">IPL 2024: 'There wasn't a dry eye in the dressing room: Fleming on MS Dhoni's resignation as CSK captain</a></strong></p>

<p>Even last season, Virat starred with the bat in hand, slamming 639 runs at an average of 53.25 and a strike rate close to 140. While he was the fourth-highest run-scorer in the tournament, he failed to guide his team to the playoffs, as they finished outside the top four.&nbsp;</p>

<p>However, with the addition of several new faces in the squad for this season, including overseas stars like Cameron Green, Alzarri Joseph, Tom Curran and Lockie Ferguson, RCB will look to turn the tables around and replicate what their women's team did this season, winning the tournament for the first time.&nbsp;</p>

<h2>RCB’s Full Squad for IPL 2024 –</h2>

<p>Faf du Plessis (c), Glenn Maxwell, Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar, Anuj Rawat, Dinesh Karthik, Suyash Prabhudessai, Will Jacks, Mahipal Lomror, Karn Sharma, Manoj Bhandage, Mayank Dagar, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Akash Deep, Mohammed Siraj, Reece Topley, Himanshu Sharma, Rajan Kumar, Cameron Green, Alzarri Joseph, Yash Dayal, Tom Curran, Lockie Ferguson, Swapnil Singh and Saurav Chauhan</p>


Chennai Super Kings will face Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the IPL 2024 curtain raiser at home, and cricket’s star boy Virat Kohli is excited for the Southern derby.

Chennai Super Kings will face Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the IPL 2024 curtain raiser at home, and cricket’s star boy Virat Kohli is excited for the Southern derby. Considered to be among the marquee matches in the tournament, CSK vs RCB is like the clash of the Titans. Speaking ahead of the opener on March 22 (Friday), Kohli said he cannot wait to take the field against CSK and meet his old teammate and former captain MS Dhoni. "Playing against Chennai is obviously always a special occasion, a big game. You know, the Southern Derby, as they call it. Yeah, it's nice to play in front of very passionate Chennai fans, and yeah, good to catch up with MS Dhoni, it's been a while," Virat said on RCB’s bold diaries. Meanwhile, Virat, being the top run-getter in the IPL with 7263 runs in 229 innings, including seven hundreds and 50 fifties, will be a threat to the home side in the IPL 2024 opener. Batting at the top alongside captain and former CSK hero Faf du Plessis, the pair will look to make it big and end RCB’s winless run in Chennai since 2008. ALSO READ: IPL 2024: 'There wasn't a dry eye in the dressing room: Fleming on MS Dhoni's resignation as CSK captain Even last season, Virat starred with the bat in hand, slamming 639 runs at an average of 53.25 and a strike rate close to 140. While he was the fourth-highest run-scorer in the tournament, he failed to guide his team to the playoffs, as they finished outside the top four. However, with the addition of several new faces in the squad for this season, including overseas stars like Cameron Green, Alzarri Joseph, Tom Curran and Lockie Ferguson, RCB will look to turn the tables around and replicate what their women's team did this season, winning the tournament for the first time. RCB’s Full Squad for IPL 2024 – Faf du Plessis (c), Glenn Maxwell, Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar, Anuj Rawat, Dinesh Karthik, Suyash Prabhudessai, Will Jacks, Mahipal Lomror, Karn Sharma, Manoj Bhandage, Mayank Dagar, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Akash Deep, Mohammed Siraj, Reece Topley, Himanshu Sharma, Rajan Kumar, Cameron Green, Alzarri Joseph, Yash Dayal, Tom Curran, Lockie Ferguson, Swapnil Singh and Saurav Chauhan

IPL 2024: ‘Good to catch up with MS Dhoni’ – RCB’s Virat Kohli excited for curtain raiser vs CSK

<p>On Thursday (March 21), the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) dropped a bomb by revealing that MS Dhoni has stepped down as the captain of the team. Ruturaj Gaikwad was named his successor and the young batter even attended the captains' photo shoot ahead of the season-opener, where CSK meet host Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in Chennai on Friday evening (March 22).</p>

<h2><strong>'There wasn’t a dry eye in the dressing room. Everyone was moved'</strong></h2>

<p>Chennai head coach Stephen Fleming recalled the moment when Dhoni announced his decision with the team management. Before the season-opener, Fleming said at a press conference, "(When Dhoni broke the news) there was a lot of emotions. A whole lot of tears. There wasn’t a dry eye in the dressing room. Everyone was moved. Last time (when CSK changed the captain before IPL 2022) we weren’t as prepared for MS to move and for a change in leadership."</p>

<p>He added, "There was also a round of congratulations to Ruturaj. He isn’t the most vocal person, but he has qualities to lead us in the right direction."</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2024-ahead-of-csk-vs-rcb-opener-sri-lankas-matheesha-pathirana-declared-fit-703064">IPL 2024: Ahead of CSK vs RCB opener, Sri Lanka's Matheesha Pathirana declared fit</a></strong></p>

<p>As per reports,&nbsp;Dhoni would be playing his last season in IPL 2024. Thus, Gaikwad will have Dhoni's presence in the playing XI and the latter will aim to groom his successor before stepping away totally.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Chennai, who lifted their fifth title in IPL 2023, are aiming to win their sixth trophy this time around and become the most successful team in IPL history.</p>

<h2><strong>Schedule:</strong></h2>

<p>Chennai Super Kings vs Royal Challengers Bangalore&nbsp; - March 22 - Chennai - 7:30 PM IST</p>

<p>Chennai Super Kings vs Gujarat Titans - March 26 - Chennai - 7:30 PM IST</p>

<p>Delhi Capitals vs Chennai Super Kings - March 31 - Vizag - 7:30 PM IST</p>

<p>Sunrisers Hyderabad&nbsp;vs Chennai Super Kings - April 5 - Hyderabad - 7:30 PM IST</p>

<p><strong>CSK squad for IPL 2024:&nbsp;</strong>MS Dhoni&nbsp;(wk), Moeen Ali, Deepak Chahar, Devon Conway (wk), Tushar Deshpande, Shivam Dube, Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Ravindra Jadeja, Ajay Mandal, Mukesh Choudhary, Matheesha Pathirana, Ajinkya Rahane, Shaik Rasheed, Mitchell Santner, Simarjeet Singh, Nishant Sindhu, Prashant Solanki, Matheesha&nbsp;Theekshana, Rachin Ravindra, Shardul Thakur, Daryl Mitchell, Sameer Rizvi, Mustafizur Rahman, Avanish Rao Aravelly</p>


On Thursday (March 21), the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) dropped a bomb by revealing that MS Dhoni has stepped down as the captain of the team. Ruturaj Gaikwad was named his successor and the young batter even attended the captains' photo shoot ahead of the season-opener, where CSK meet host Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in Chennai on Friday evening (March 22).

On Thursday (March 21), the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) dropped a bomb by revealing that MS Dhoni has stepped down as the captain of the team. Ruturaj Gaikwad was named his successor and the young batter even attended the captains' photo shoot ahead of the season-opener, where CSK meet host Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in Chennai on Friday evening (March 22). 'There wasn’t a dry eye in the dressing room. Everyone was moved' Chennai head coach Stephen Fleming recalled the moment when Dhoni announced his decision with the team management. Before the season-opener, Fleming said at a press conference, "(When Dhoni broke the news) there was a lot of emotions. A whole lot of tears. There wasn’t a dry eye in the dressing room. Everyone was moved. Last time (when CSK changed the captain before IPL 2022) we weren’t as prepared for MS to move and for a change in leadership." He added, "There was also a round of congratulations to Ruturaj. He isn’t the most vocal person, but he has qualities to lead us in the right direction." Also read: IPL 2024: Ahead of CSK vs RCB opener, Sri Lanka's Matheesha Pathirana declared fit As per reports, Dhoni would be playing his last season in IPL 2024. Thus, Gaikwad will have Dhoni's presence in the playing XI and the latter will aim to groom his successor before stepping away totally. Chennai, who lifted their fifth title in IPL 2023, are aiming to win their sixth trophy this time around and become the most successful team in IPL history. Schedule: Chennai Super Kings vs Royal Challengers Bangalore - March 22 - Chennai - 7:30 PM IST Chennai Super Kings vs Gujarat Titans - March 26 - Chennai - 7:30 PM IST Delhi Capitals vs Chennai Super Kings - March 31 - Vizag - 7:30 PM IST Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Chennai Super Kings - April 5 - Hyderabad - 7:30 PM IST CSK squad for IPL 2024: MS Dhoni (wk), Moeen Ali, Deepak Chahar, Devon Conway (wk), Tushar Deshpande, Shivam Dube, Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Ravindra Jadeja, Ajay Mandal, Mukesh Choudhary, Matheesha Pathirana, Ajinkya Rahane, Shaik Rasheed, Mitchell Santner, Simarjeet Singh, Nishant Sindhu, Prashant Solanki, Matheesha Theekshana, Rachin Ravindra, Shardul Thakur, Daryl Mitchell, Sameer Rizvi, Mustafizur Rahman, Avanish Rao Aravelly

IPL 2024: 'There wasn't a dry eye in the dressing room: Fleming on MS Dhoni's resignation as CSK captain

<p>There is a lot of news coming from the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) camp ahead of the IPL 2024 curtain raiser, where the Yellow Army will host Royal Challengers Bengaluru&nbsp;(RCB) in Chennai on Friday (March 22). While on Thursday (March 21), it was confirmed that Ruturaj Gaikwad has succeeded MS Dhoni as the CSK captain, another important update has emerged for the Chennai fans. Matheesha Pathirana, Sri Lanka's young pacer, has been declared fit ahead of the season-opener.</p>

<p>Pathirana, who ended with 19 wickets&nbsp;in IPL 2023 (third-most for CSK), suffered a hamstring tear (Grade 1) during Sri Lanka's tour of Bangladesh. He got injured during the second and penultimate T20I and has been away from action since then. Now, his manager confirmed, on X, that he has been declared fit.</p>

<p><i>“The answer to ‘Where's Pathirana’. He is fit and ready to throw Thunder balls. Be ready. Finally a together with the Legend,”</i>&nbsp;Kalugalage wrote on Friday. <strong>Here is the post:</strong></p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">The answer to "Where's Pathirana"<br />
<br />
He is fit and ready to throw Thunder ⚡ balls. Be ready 💣.<br />
Finally a 📸 together with the Legend <a href="https://twitter.com/matheesha_9?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@matheesha_9</a> 😄 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WhistlePodu?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WhistlePodu</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/csk?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#csk</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IPL2024?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IPL2024</a> <a href="https://t.co/JKsv9gacWm">pic.twitter.com/JKsv9gacWm</a></p>
— Amila Kalugalage (@akalugalage) <a href="https://twitter.com/akalugalage/status/1771024855242248681?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 22, 2024</a></blockquote>
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<p><strong>Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2024-ruturaj-gaikwad-reveals-ms-dhoni-told-him-to-be-ready-for-csk-captaincy-in-2023-702994">IPL 2024: Ruturaj Gaikwad reveals MS Dhoni told him to 'be ready' for CSK captaincy in 2023</a></strong></p>

<p>Pathirana is, however, expected to join the CSK setup only after he gets a clearance from the Sri Lanka&nbsp; Cricket Board (SLC). Earlier, it was reported that the 21-year-old would miss 2-3 games due to&nbsp;injury. However, CSK fans would hope for his early appearance in the IPL 2024 edition.</p>

<p>On Friday evening, CSK and RCB will lock horns and kickoff the 17th season of the cash-rich league. The match will mark the commencement of the Gaikwad-era in the Chennai setup with Dhoni stepping away from captaincy duties.</p>

<p><strong>CSK squad for IPL 2024:&nbsp;</strong>MS Dhoni&nbsp;(wk), Moeen Ali, Deepak Chahar, Devon Conway (wk), Tushar Deshpande, Shivam Dube, Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Ravindra Jadeja, Ajay Mandal, Mukesh Choudhary, Matheesha Pathirana, Ajinkya Rahane, Shaik Rasheed, Mitchell Santner, Simarjeet Singh, Nishant Sindhu, Prashant Solanki, Matheesha&nbsp;Theekshana, Rachin Ravindra, Shardul Thakur, Daryl Mitchell, Sameer Rizvi, Mustafizur Rahman, Avanish Rao Aravelly</p>


There is a lot of news coming from the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) camp ahead of the IPL 2024 curtain raiser, where the Yellow Army will host Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in Chennai on Friday (March 22).

There is a lot of news coming from the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) camp ahead of the IPL 2024 curtain raiser, where the Yellow Army will host Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in Chennai on Friday (March 22). While on Thursday (March 21), it was confirmed that Ruturaj Gaikwad has succeeded MS Dhoni as the CSK captain, another important update has emerged for the Chennai fans. Matheesha Pathirana, Sri Lanka's young pacer, has been declared fit ahead of the season-opener. Pathirana, who ended with 19 wickets in IPL 2023 (third-most for CSK), suffered a hamstring tear (Grade 1) during Sri Lanka's tour of Bangladesh. He got injured during the second and penultimate T20I and has been away from action since then. Now, his manager confirmed, on X, that he has been declared fit. “The answer to ‘Where's Pathirana’. He is fit and ready to throw Thunder balls. Be ready. Finally a together with the Legend,” Kalugalage wrote on Friday. Here is the post: The answer to "Where's Pathirana" He is fit and ready to throw Thunder ⚡ balls. Be ready 💣. Finally a 📸 together with the Legend @matheesha_9 😄 #WhistlePodu #csk #IPL2024 pic.twitter.com/JKsv9gacWm — Amila Kalugalage (@akalugalage) March 22, 2024 × Also read: IPL 2024: Ruturaj Gaikwad reveals MS Dhoni told him to 'be ready' for CSK captaincy in 2023 Pathirana is, however, expected to join the CSK setup only after he gets a clearance from the Sri Lanka Cricket Board (SLC). Earlier, it was reported that the 21-year-old would miss 2-3 games due to injury. However, CSK fans would hope for his early appearance in the IPL 2024 edition. On Friday evening, CSK and RCB will lock horns and kickoff the 17th season of the cash-rich league. The match will mark the commencement of the Gaikwad-era in the Chennai setup with Dhoni stepping away from captaincy duties. CSK squad for IPL 2024: MS Dhoni (wk), Moeen Ali, Deepak Chahar, Devon Conway (wk), Tushar Deshpande, Shivam Dube, Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Ravindra Jadeja, Ajay Mandal, Mukesh Choudhary, Matheesha Pathirana, Ajinkya Rahane, Shaik Rasheed, Mitchell Santner, Simarjeet Singh, Nishant Sindhu, Prashant Solanki, Matheesha Theekshana, Rachin Ravindra, Shardul Thakur, Daryl Mitchell, Sameer Rizvi, Mustafizur Rahman, Avanish Rao Aravelly

IPL 2024: Ahead of CSK vs RCB opener, Sri Lanka's Matheesha Pathirana declared fit

<p>On Thursday (March 21), Chennai Super Kings (CSK) dropped a bomb by revealing that Ruturaj Gaikwad will succeed MS Dhoni as the Chennai captain ahead of the IPL 2024 opener, where the Yellow Army host Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). Notably, Gaikwad made heads turn when he showed up during the captains' photo shoot before the announcement was made.</p>

<h2><strong>'Be ready, it shouldn't come as a surprise to you'</strong></h2>

<p>Gaikwad revealed that Dhoni had&nbsp;hinted at a&nbsp;captaincy change during IPL 2023 itself. In a video shared on CSK's official handle on X, formerly Twitter, he said, "I don't think so I need to change anything. Last year itself, Mahi bhai had just hinted about captaincy at some point in time. Just hinted that 'be ready, it shouldn't come as a surprise to you.'"</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">What it means! 🗣️💛<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WhistlePodu?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WhistlePodu</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Yellove?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Yellove</a> 🦁💛<br />
<br />
<a href="https://t.co/WCLqVI4xyU">pic.twitter.com/WCLqVI4xyU</a></p>
— Chennai Super Kings (@ChennaiIPL) <a href="https://twitter.com/ChennaiIPL/status/1771023597454172539?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 22, 2024</a></blockquote>
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<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/csk-captaincy-chennai-super-kings-ipl-2024-ruturaj-gaikwad-indian-premier-league-csk-vs-rcb-stephen-fleming-702920">IPL 2024: CSK head coach Stephen Fleming backs MS Dhoni's decision to step down, says 'the timing was good'</a></strong></p>

<p>He added, "I remember him posting about the new role on social media. Everybody was just pointing towards me and asking me, 'whether you are the next captain.'&nbsp;I was like maybe it meant something else for social media or something."</p>

<p>"Back of the mind it was there, but then he came in a week ago and said he had decided this. But definitely, now that I am here, I am definitely looking forward to it."</p>

<p>Gaikwad has become a prominent face in the CSK setup since being a part of them in 2020. In four seasons, the right-hander has&nbsp;1,797 runs at a strike rate of&nbsp;135.52, including 14 fifties and a ton. He has a herculean task to take the mantle forward from Dhoni. However, he will have the presence of the legendary figure in the playing XI during the forthcoming season and will hope to make the most of his input.</p>

<p>IPL 2024 kicks off on Friday evening with CSK hosting RCB at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.</p>

<p><strong>CSK squad for IPL 2024:&nbsp;</strong>MS Dhoni&nbsp;(wk), Moeen Ali, Deepak Chahar, Devon Conway (wk), Tushar Deshpande, Shivam Dube, Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Ravindra Jadeja, Ajay Mandal, Mukesh Choudhary, Matheesha Pathirana, Ajinkya Rahane, Shaik Rasheed, Mitchell Santner, Simarjeet Singh, Nishant Sindhu, Prashant Solanki, Matheesha&nbsp;Theekshana, Rachin Ravindra, Shardul Thakur, Daryl Mitchell, Sameer Rizvi, Mustafizur Rahman, Avanish Rao Aravelly</p>


On Thursday (March 21), Chennai Super Kings (CSK) dropped a bomb by revealing that Ruturaj Gaikwad will succeed MS Dhoni as the Chennai captain ahead of the IPL 2024 opener, where the Yellow Army host Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB).

On Thursday (March 21), Chennai Super Kings (CSK) dropped a bomb by revealing that Ruturaj Gaikwad will succeed MS Dhoni as the Chennai captain ahead of the IPL 2024 opener, where the Yellow Army host Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). Notably, Gaikwad made heads turn when he showed up during the captains' photo shoot before the announcement was made. 'Be ready, it shouldn't come as a surprise to you' Gaikwad revealed that Dhoni had hinted at a captaincy change during IPL 2023 itself. In a video shared on CSK's official handle on X, formerly Twitter, he said, "I don't think so I need to change anything. Last year itself, Mahi bhai had just hinted about captaincy at some point in time. Just hinted that 'be ready, it shouldn't come as a surprise to you.'" What it means! 🗣️💛#WhistlePodu #Yellove 🦁💛 pic.twitter.com/WCLqVI4xyU — Chennai Super Kings (@ChennaiIPL) March 22, 2024 × Also read: IPL 2024: CSK head coach Stephen Fleming backs MS Dhoni's decision to step down, says 'the timing was good' He added, "I remember him posting about the new role on social media. Everybody was just pointing towards me and asking me, 'whether you are the next captain.' I was like maybe it meant something else for social media or something." "Back of the mind it was there, but then he came in a week ago and said he had decided this. But definitely, now that I am here, I am definitely looking forward to it." Gaikwad has become a prominent face in the CSK setup since being a part of them in 2020. In four seasons, the right-hander has 1,797 runs at a strike rate of 135.52, including 14 fifties and a ton. He has a herculean task to take the mantle forward from Dhoni. However, he will have the presence of the legendary figure in the playing XI during the forthcoming season and will hope to make the most of his input. IPL 2024 kicks off on Friday evening with CSK hosting RCB at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. CSK squad for IPL 2024: MS Dhoni (wk), Moeen Ali, Deepak Chahar, Devon Conway (wk), Tushar Deshpande, Shivam Dube, Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Ravindra Jadeja, Ajay Mandal, Mukesh Choudhary, Matheesha Pathirana, Ajinkya Rahane, Shaik Rasheed, Mitchell Santner, Simarjeet Singh, Nishant Sindhu, Prashant Solanki, Matheesha Theekshana, Rachin Ravindra, Shardul Thakur, Daryl Mitchell, Sameer Rizvi, Mustafizur Rahman, Avanish Rao Aravelly

IPL 2024: Ruturaj Gaikwad reveals MS Dhoni told him to 'be ready' for CSK captaincy in 2023

<p>Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the Chennai Super Kings star, on Thursday (March 21) relinquished IPL captaincy by&nbsp;handing over the baton to CSK opener Ruturaj Gaikwad ahead of IPL 2024, starting on March 22 in Chennai. MS Dhoni, as fans worldwide recognise him, took a call to pick Gaikwad to fill in his shoes at CSK just one day before the start of the marquee tournament, the franchise's official announcement read.</p>

<p>Upon reaching out to the CSK's CEO, Kasi Viswanathan, for comments on the same, CSK’s backroom staff veteran revealed that he also knew about Dhoni relinquishing his IPL captaincy just before the captain’s meet. He insisted that Dhoni's decision is always in the team’s interest and should be respected.</p>

<p>"Whatever Dhoni does, it is in the best interest of the team. I got to know of the decision just before the captains' meeting. You have to respect his decision, it is his call," CSK CEO Kasi Viswanathan told PTI.</p>

<p>Upon getting picked by CSK during the maiden IPL auction in 2008 for over a million dollars, MS Dhoni captained the side for 14 years, leading the franchise to five IPL titles, joint-most with Mumbai Indians in the tournament history.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2024-ms-dhonis-glorious-captaincy-run-at-csk-from-a-master-to-thala-702675">IPL 2024: MS Dhoni’s glorious captaincy run at CSK – from a Master to Thala</a></strong></p>

<p>After failing to do it in the first two seasons, Dhoni-led CSK won IPL titles in 2010 and 2011. Chennai Super Kings then lost three finals in four straight seasons before facing a two-year suspension on fixing charges. A grand return to the league in 2018 saw them winning their third title that season.&nbsp;</p>

<p>A close loss by just one run at the hands of MI in 2019 shattered their dreams, but CSK returned in 2021 to win their fourth title. Although they suffered a dismal fate the following season in 2022, finishing in the bottom half of the points table, CSK won the IPL title last year, which happened to be the last under MS Dhoni.</p>

<h2>Gaikwad – the new leader!</h2>

<p>Having tried passing on the baton in 2022, with Ravindra Jadeja chosen as the new captain ahead of the season, MS Dhoni had to quickly get back to leading the side midway through the tournament.</p>

<p>"It didn't work out at that time, this is different," said Viswanathan of Jadeja replacing Dhoni as IPL captain in 2022.</p>

<p>Two years later, with Dhoni’s time running out in the IPL, given his age, he had to pick his successor, and Gaikwad was the one he chose.&nbsp;</p>

<p>CSK head coach Stephen Fleming also commented on the same, saying. "We weren't ready to move away from MS in 2022. Dhoni has a good sense of the game, but we want to develop the young players for the role. We are well prepared this time."</p>

<p>Meanwhile, Gaikwad, the right-handed opener made his IPL debut in 2020 and has featured in 52 matches, hitting 1797 runs at 39.07. He has scored 14 fifties and a hundred.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Chennai Super Kings will face Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the curtain-raiser on March 22 in Chennai.&nbsp;</p>


Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the Chennai Super Kings star, on Thursday (March 21) relinquished IPL captaincy by handing over the baton to CSK opener Ruturaj Gaikwad ahead of IPL 2024, starting on March 22 in Chennai.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the Chennai Super Kings star, on Thursday (March 21) relinquished IPL captaincy by handing over the baton to CSK opener Ruturaj Gaikwad ahead of IPL 2024, starting on March 22 in Chennai. MS Dhoni, as fans worldwide recognise him, took a call to pick Gaikwad to fill in his shoes at CSK just one day before the start of the marquee tournament, the franchise's official announcement read. Upon reaching out to the CSK's CEO, Kasi Viswanathan, for comments on the same, CSK’s backroom staff veteran revealed that he also knew about Dhoni relinquishing his IPL captaincy just before the captain’s meet. He insisted that Dhoni's decision is always in the team’s interest and should be respected. "Whatever Dhoni does, it is in the best interest of the team. I got to know of the decision just before the captains' meeting. You have to respect his decision, it is his call," CSK CEO Kasi Viswanathan told PTI. Upon getting picked by CSK during the maiden IPL auction in 2008 for over a million dollars, MS Dhoni captained the side for 14 years, leading the franchise to five IPL titles, joint-most with Mumbai Indians in the tournament history. ALSO READ: IPL 2024: MS Dhoni’s glorious captaincy run at CSK – from a Master to Thala After failing to do it in the first two seasons, Dhoni-led CSK won IPL titles in 2010 and 2011. Chennai Super Kings then lost three finals in four straight seasons before facing a two-year suspension on fixing charges. A grand return to the league in 2018 saw them winning their third title that season. A close loss by just one run at the hands of MI in 2019 shattered their dreams, but CSK returned in 2021 to win their fourth title. Although they suffered a dismal fate the following season in 2022, finishing in the bottom half of the points table, CSK won the IPL title last year, which happened to be the last under MS Dhoni. Gaikwad – the new leader! Having tried passing on the baton in 2022, with Ravindra Jadeja chosen as the new captain ahead of the season, MS Dhoni had to quickly get back to leading the side midway through the tournament. "It didn't work out at that time, this is different," said Viswanathan of Jadeja replacing Dhoni as IPL captain in 2022. Two years later, with Dhoni’s time running out in the IPL, given his age, he had to pick his successor, and Gaikwad was the one he chose. CSK head coach Stephen Fleming also commented on the same, saying. "We weren't ready to move away from MS in 2022. Dhoni has a good sense of the game, but we want to develop the young players for the role. We are well prepared this time." Meanwhile, Gaikwad, the right-handed opener made his IPL debut in 2020 and has featured in 52 matches, hitting 1797 runs at 39.07. He has scored 14 fifties and a hundred. Chennai Super Kings will face Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the curtain-raiser on March 22 in Chennai.

IPL 2024: ‘You’ve to respect his decision’ – CSK CEO on MS Dhoni handing over captaincy to Gaikwad

<p>MS Dhoni's decision to hand over the captaincy duties to Ruturaj Gaikwad on the eve of Chennai Super King's IPL 2024 opener has come as a shock to fans and rivals alike. Dhoni led CSK since its inception in 2008 and finishes&nbsp;off, arguably, as the greatest captain the tournament has ever seen.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Gaikwad, who opens the innings for CSK will be the second player after Ravindra Jadeja to have been handed the captain's armband by MS Dhoni. The all-rounder (Jadeja) was handed the responsibility in 2022 before giving it back to Dhoni, midway into the season.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">It's typically MS. But a bombshell no less! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IPL2024?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IPL2024</a></p>
— Soorya Sesha (@sooryasesha7) <a href="https://twitter.com/sooryasesha7/status/1770761197077348597?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 21, 2024</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">End of an era. 💔<br />
<br />
MS Dhoni - Will always be one of the greatest captains in IPL history. <a href="https://t.co/UsdMvlMZGb">pic.twitter.com/UsdMvlMZGb</a></p>
— Vishal. (@SPORTYVISHAL) <a href="https://twitter.com/SPORTYVISHAL/status/1770757245199946214?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 21, 2024</a></blockquote>
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<p>Former CSK player Irfan Pathan compared Dhoni's leadership to that of a supernova and said it will be remembered for decades to come.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">In the ever-expanding galaxy of cricket, MS Dhoni’s legacy as CSK’s leader shines bright, akin to a supernova, illuminating the path for the franchise with unparalleled brilliance and allure. His leadership will be remembered for decades to come. Good luck Ruturaj for your new…</p>
— Irfan Pathan (@IrfanPathan) <a href="https://twitter.com/IrfanPathan/status/1770766251708518568?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 21, 2024</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">-MS Dhoni's final match as the captain these scenes..🥹<br />
<br />
- END OF AN ERA IN IPL...!!!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MSDhoni?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MSDhoni</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RCBvsCSK?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RCBvsCSK</a> <a href="https://t.co/nKGIq4M4tq">pic.twitter.com/nKGIq4M4tq</a></p>
— KIRTHIC (@_JustNow) <a href="https://twitter.com/_JustNow/status/1770766693792374848?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 21, 2024</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">-MS Dhoni's final match as the captain these scenes..🥹<br />
<br />
- END OF AN ERA IN IPL...!!!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MSDhoni?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MSDhoni</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RCBvsCSK?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RCBvsCSK</a> <a href="https://t.co/nKGIq4M4tq">pic.twitter.com/nKGIq4M4tq</a></p>
— KIRTHIC (@_JustNow) <a href="https://twitter.com/_JustNow/status/1770766693792374848?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 21, 2024</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Now I can say that, My childhood has officially ended. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MSDhoni?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MSDhoni</a> <a href="https://t.co/U9m56aOds7">pic.twitter.com/U9m56aOds7</a></p>
— Mayur Jain (@MAYUR448) <a href="https://twitter.com/MAYUR448/status/1770760808277938290?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 21, 2024</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">THE GREATEST CAPTAIN IN CRICKET HISTORY.<br />
<br />
- Thank you, MS Dhoni. 🏆<a href="https://t.co/HcHulamZW3">pic.twitter.com/HcHulamZW3</a></p>
— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) <a href="https://twitter.com/CricCrazyJohns/status/1770762276158492733?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 21, 2024</a></blockquote>
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<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2024-ms-dhonis-glorious-captaincy-run-at-csk-from-a-master-to-thala-702675"><strong>Also read |&nbsp;IPL 2024: MS Dhoni’s glorious captaincy run at CSK – from a Master to Thala</strong></a></p>

<h2><strong>What did CSK announce?</strong></h2>

<p>"MS Dhoni has handed over Chennai Super Kings’ captaincy to Ruturaj Gaikwad ahead of the start of TATA IPL 2024," CSK said in an official statement.</p>

<p>"Ruturaj has been an integral part of Chennai Super Kings since 2019 and has played 52 matches in IPL during this period. The team looks forward to the upcoming season," it added.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Dhoni guided CSK to a record-equalling fifth title last season despite suffering from a wobbly knee throughout the tournament. At the time, many wondered if it would be the last swansong for him but the former Indian captain said he would return the next year.&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/ipl-2024-ruturaj-gaikwad-replaces-ms-dhoni-as-chennai-super-kings-captain-702645"><strong>Also read |&nbsp;IPL 2024: MS Dhoni steps down as CSK captain, Ruturaj Gaikwad announced as replacement</strong></a></p>

<p>Having given up the captaincy, experts are of the view that the 2024 season could be the last time the 42-year-old&nbsp;Dhoni takes to the field to don the iconic canary-yellow jersey.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>CSK squad for IPL 2024:</strong>&nbsp;MS Dhoni, Devon Conway, Avanish Rao Aravelly, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shaik Rasheed, Ajinkya Rahane, Sameer Rizvi, Moeen Ali, Shivam Dube, Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Ravindra Jadeja, Mitchell Santner, Ajay Mandal, Nishant Sindhu, Rachin Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell, Shardul Thakur, Deepak Chahar, Tushar Deshpande, Matheesha Pathirana, Simarjeet Singh, Prashant Solanki, Maheesh Theekshana, Mustafizur Rahman, Mukesh Choudhary</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


MS Dhoni's decision to hand over the captaincy duties to Ruturaj Gaikwad on the eve of Chennai Super King's IPL 2024 opener has come as a shock to fans and rivals alike.

MS Dhoni's decision to hand over the captaincy duties to Ruturaj Gaikwad on the eve of Chennai Super King's IPL 2024 opener has come as a shock to fans and rivals alike. Dhoni led CSK since its inception in 2008 and finishes off, arguably, as the greatest captain the tournament has ever seen. Gaikwad, who opens the innings for CSK will be the second player after Ravindra Jadeja to have been handed the captain's armband by MS Dhoni. The all-rounder (Jadeja) was handed the responsibility in 2022 before giving it back to Dhoni, midway into the season. It's typically MS. But a bombshell no less! #IPL2024 — Soorya Sesha (@sooryasesha7) March 21, 2024 × End of an era. 💔 MS Dhoni - Will always be one of the greatest captains in IPL history. pic.twitter.com/UsdMvlMZGb — Vishal. (@SPORTYVISHAL) March 21, 2024 × Former CSK player Irfan Pathan compared Dhoni's leadership to that of a supernova and said it will be remembered for decades to come. In the ever-expanding galaxy of cricket, MS Dhoni’s legacy as CSK’s leader shines bright, akin to a supernova, illuminating the path for the franchise with unparalleled brilliance and allure. His leadership will be remembered for decades to come. Good luck Ruturaj for your new… — Irfan Pathan (@IrfanPathan) March 21, 2024 × -MS Dhoni's final match as the captain these scenes..🥹 - END OF AN ERA IN IPL...!!!#MSDhoni #RCBvsCSK pic.twitter.com/nKGIq4M4tq — KIRTHIC (@_JustNow) March 21, 2024 × -MS Dhoni's final match as the captain these scenes..🥹 - END OF AN ERA IN IPL...!!!#MSDhoni #RCBvsCSK pic.twitter.com/nKGIq4M4tq — KIRTHIC (@_JustNow) March 21, 2024 × Now I can say that, My childhood has officially ended. #MSDhoni pic.twitter.com/U9m56aOds7 — Mayur Jain (@MAYUR448) March 21, 2024 × THE GREATEST CAPTAIN IN CRICKET HISTORY. - Thank you, MS Dhoni. 🏆pic.twitter.com/HcHulamZW3 — Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) March 21, 2024 × Also read | IPL 2024: MS Dhoni’s glorious captaincy run at CSK – from a Master to Thala What did CSK announce? "MS Dhoni has handed over Chennai Super Kings’ captaincy to Ruturaj Gaikwad ahead of the start of TATA IPL 2024," CSK said in an official statement. "Ruturaj has been an integral part of Chennai Super Kings since 2019 and has played 52 matches in IPL during this period. The team looks forward to the upcoming season," it added. Dhoni guided CSK to a record-equalling fifth title last season despite suffering from a wobbly knee throughout the tournament. At the time, many wondered if it would be the last swansong for him but the former Indian captain said he would return the next year. Also read | IPL 2024: MS Dhoni steps down as CSK captain, Ruturaj Gaikwad announced as replacement Having given up the captaincy, experts are of the view that the 2024 season could be the last time the 42-year-old Dhoni takes to the field to don the iconic canary-yellow jersey. CSK squad for IPL 2024: MS Dhoni, Devon Conway, Avanish Rao Aravelly, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shaik Rasheed, Ajinkya Rahane, Sameer Rizvi, Moeen Ali, Shivam Dube, Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Ravindra Jadeja, Mitchell Santner, Ajay Mandal, Nishant Sindhu, Rachin Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell, Shardul Thakur, Deepak Chahar, Tushar Deshpande, Matheesha Pathirana, Simarjeet Singh, Prashant Solanki, Maheesh Theekshana, Mustafizur Rahman, Mukesh Choudhary (With inputs from agencies)

IPL 2024: Fans reminisce end of an era as MS Dhoni gives up CSK captaincy

In PICS | MS Dhoni’s Captaincy Run at CSK in IPL

<p>Matheesha Pathirana, who was the most-successful&nbsp;bowler in the death overs in the IPL 2023, is set to miss the initial few games for defending champions Ruturaj Gaikwad-led Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the upcoming IPL 2024 edition. Pathirana is suffering from a hamstring injury which he sustained during the Bangladesh-Sri Lanka second and penultimate T20I, in Sylhet, earlier this month. He was not able to bowl his full quota of overs. Pathirana's absence is a huge blow to MS Dhoni-starrer CSK as he was one of their go-to-bowlers in the death overs.&nbsp;</p>

<p>As per ESPNCricinfo, the Sri Lankan pacer&nbsp;will join CSK's squad once he gets clearance from Sr Lanka Cricket (SLC). Pathirana has been out of action ever since. He didn't take part in the third and final T20I as well and will now aim for a quick recovery to join the Chennai setup. He was a crucial part of Dhoni-led CSK's title-win in IPL 2023.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Pathirana's economy rate of 8.00 in&nbsp;the death overs (16-20th) was the best among bowlers who bowled at least 90 balls during this phase in the last season. In addition, he emerged as the leading wicket-taker during the death overs, claiming 18 wickets in 12 innings. Thus, the five-time winners will certainly hope for his quick return.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2024-good-news-for-csk-bangladesh-pacer-mustafizur-rahman-departs-for-chennai-after-injury-scare-701830">IPL 2024: Good news for CSK! Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman departs for Chennai after injury scare</a></strong></p>

<p>CSK are already without Devon Conway -- who is out of action with a thumb injury -- whereas Mustafizur Rahman also suffered from severe cramps during the home ODIs versus SL. However, he joined the CSK squad on Wednesday (March 20) and will most likely replace Pathirana till his return.</p>

<p><strong>CSK squad for IPL 2024</strong></p>

<p>MS Dhoni&nbsp;(wk), Moeen Ali, Deepak Chahar, Devon Conway (wk), Tushar Deshpande, Shivam Dube, Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Ravindra Jadeja, Ajay Mandal, Mukesh Choudhary, Matheesha Pathirana, Ajinkya Rahane, Shaik Rasheed, Mitchell Santner, Simarjeet Singh, Nishant Sindhu, Prashant Solanki, Maheesh Theekshana, Rachin Ravindra, Shardul Thakur, Daryl Mitchell, Sameer Rizvi, Mustafizur Rahman, Avanish Rao Aravelly</p>


Matheesha Pathirana, who was the most-successful bowler in the death overs in the IPL 2023, is set to miss the initial few games for defending champions Ruturaj Gaikwad-led Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the upcoming IPL 2024 edition.

Matheesha Pathirana, who was the most-successful bowler in the death overs in the IPL 2023, is set to miss the initial few games for defending champions Ruturaj Gaikwad-led Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the upcoming IPL 2024 edition. Pathirana is suffering from a hamstring injury which he sustained during the Bangladesh-Sri Lanka second and penultimate T20I, in Sylhet, earlier this month. He was not able to bowl his full quota of overs. Pathirana's absence is a huge blow to MS Dhoni-starrer CSK as he was one of their go-to-bowlers in the death overs. As per ESPNCricinfo, the Sri Lankan pacer will join CSK's squad once he gets clearance from Sr Lanka Cricket (SLC). Pathirana has been out of action ever since. He didn't take part in the third and final T20I as well and will now aim for a quick recovery to join the Chennai setup. He was a crucial part of Dhoni-led CSK's title-win in IPL 2023. Pathirana's economy rate of 8.00 in the death overs (16-20th) was the best among bowlers who bowled at least 90 balls during this phase in the last season. In addition, he emerged as the leading wicket-taker during the death overs, claiming 18 wickets in 12 innings. Thus, the five-time winners will certainly hope for his quick return. Also read: IPL 2024: Good news for CSK! Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman departs for Chennai after injury scare CSK are already without Devon Conway -- who is out of action with a thumb injury -- whereas Mustafizur Rahman also suffered from severe cramps during the home ODIs versus SL. However, he joined the CSK squad on Wednesday (March 20) and will most likely replace Pathirana till his return. CSK squad for IPL 2024 MS Dhoni (wk), Moeen Ali, Deepak Chahar, Devon Conway (wk), Tushar Deshpande, Shivam Dube, Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Ravindra Jadeja, Ajay Mandal, Mukesh Choudhary, Matheesha Pathirana, Ajinkya Rahane, Shaik Rasheed, Mitchell Santner, Simarjeet Singh, Nishant Sindhu, Prashant Solanki, Maheesh Theekshana, Rachin Ravindra, Shardul Thakur, Daryl Mitchell, Sameer Rizvi, Mustafizur Rahman, Avanish Rao Aravelly

IPL 2024: Big blow for CSK! Matheesha Pathirana to miss initial games due to hamstring injury

<p>Mahendra Singh Dhoni, fondly known as MS Dhoni among cricket fans worldwide, has relinquished his IPL captaincy at Chennai Super Kings, handing over the baton to CSK opener Ruturaj Gaikwad a day before the start of the 17th edition in Chennai. Following an official announcement from the franchise, Dhoni’s glorious captaincy run in IPL has ended.</p>

<p>Chennai Super Kings picked MS Dhoni at the maiden IPL auction in 2008 for a million dollars, naming him the captain.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Dhoni’s IPL journey began with a bang, leading his team to the final against Rajasthan Royals in the maiden IPL final, which they lost. Chennai lost to RCB in the semis the next season in South Africa but returned stronger in 2010 when MS Dhoni-led CSK won its first IPL title.</p>

<p>Dhoni’s CSK were crowned champions the following year in 2011 - when he led India to their second 50-over World Cup at home.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Meanwhile, Chennai lost three finals in the next four seasons, going down to Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in 2012 and against Mumbai Indians in 2013 and 2015. But what transpired after had put IPL’s credibility at stake, with CSK and RR facing two-year suspension on fixing charges.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/ipl-2024-ruturaj-gaikwad-replaces-ms-dhoni-as-chennai-super-kings-captain-702645">IPL 2024: MS Dhoni steps down as CSK captain, Ruturaj Gaikwad announced his replacement</a></strong></p>

<p>Upon returning to the cash-rich league in 2018, Chennai won its third IPL title, beating SunRisers Hyderabad in the final. Chennai suffered a crushing fate in the 2019 final, losing to Mumbai Indians by just one run. In the following season, Chennai was seventh on the points table – their worst in the tournament history.&nbsp;</p>

<p>However, in 2021, under MS Dhoni, CSK beat KKR in the final to become IPL champions for the fourth time. 2022 was another low chapter in CSK’s glorious history, finishing ninth, just above Mumbai Indians.&nbsp;</p>

<p>2023, which now happened to be MS Dhoni’s last season as CSK’s captain, saw his team beat Gujarat Titans to lift the trophy for the record fifth time, joint most (with MI) in IPL history.&nbsp;</p>

<h2>MS Dhoni’s IPL numbers –</h2>

<p>In 250 IPL matches, MS Dhoni has scored 5082 runs at 39.09 with a strike rate of 135.96. Dhoni has scored 24 fifties in the IPL, with the highest score of 84*.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Dhoni’s best season with the bat in hand was in 2013, when he scored 461 runs in 18 matches at 162.89 (strike rate), smashing 32 fours and 25 sixes. However, he slammed the most number of sixes in 2018, wherein he hit 30 biggies in addition to scoring 455 runs in 16 outings.</p>

<p>Regarding his fielding stats in the IPL, MS Dhoni has picked 142 catches and affected 42 stumpings thus far.</p>

<p>While Dhoni has handed over the IPL captaincy to Gaikwad ahead of IPL 2024, he will continue to play as a batter.&nbsp;</p>


Mahendra Singh Dhoni, fondly known as MS Dhoni among cricket fans worldwide, has relinquished his IPL captaincy at Chennai Super Kings, handing over the baton to CSK opener Ruturaj Gaikwad a day before the start of the 17th edition in Chennai.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni, fondly known as MS Dhoni among cricket fans worldwide, has relinquished his IPL captaincy at Chennai Super Kings, handing over the baton to CSK opener Ruturaj Gaikwad a day before the start of the 17th edition in Chennai. Following an official announcement from the franchise, Dhoni’s glorious captaincy run in IPL has ended. Chennai Super Kings picked MS Dhoni at the maiden IPL auction in 2008 for a million dollars, naming him the captain. Dhoni’s IPL journey began with a bang, leading his team to the final against Rajasthan Royals in the maiden IPL final, which they lost. Chennai lost to RCB in the semis the next season in South Africa but returned stronger in 2010 when MS Dhoni-led CSK won its first IPL title. Dhoni’s CSK were crowned champions the following year in 2011 - when he led India to their second 50-over World Cup at home. Meanwhile, Chennai lost three finals in the next four seasons, going down to Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in 2012 and against Mumbai Indians in 2013 and 2015. But what transpired after had put IPL’s credibility at stake, with CSK and RR facing two-year suspension on fixing charges. ALSO READ: IPL 2024: MS Dhoni steps down as CSK captain, Ruturaj Gaikwad announced his replacement Upon returning to the cash-rich league in 2018, Chennai won its third IPL title, beating SunRisers Hyderabad in the final. Chennai suffered a crushing fate in the 2019 final, losing to Mumbai Indians by just one run. In the following season, Chennai was seventh on the points table – their worst in the tournament history. However, in 2021, under MS Dhoni, CSK beat KKR in the final to become IPL champions for the fourth time. 2022 was another low chapter in CSK’s glorious history, finishing ninth, just above Mumbai Indians. 2023, which now happened to be MS Dhoni’s last season as CSK’s captain, saw his team beat Gujarat Titans to lift the trophy for the record fifth time, joint most (with MI) in IPL history. MS Dhoni’s IPL numbers – In 250 IPL matches, MS Dhoni has scored 5082 runs at 39.09 with a strike rate of 135.96. Dhoni has scored 24 fifties in the IPL, with the highest score of 84*. Dhoni’s best season with the bat in hand was in 2013, when he scored 461 runs in 18 matches at 162.89 (strike rate), smashing 32 fours and 25 sixes. However, he slammed the most number of sixes in 2018, wherein he hit 30 biggies in addition to scoring 455 runs in 16 outings. Regarding his fielding stats in the IPL, MS Dhoni has picked 142 catches and affected 42 stumpings thus far. While Dhoni has handed over the IPL captaincy to Gaikwad ahead of IPL 2024, he will continue to play as a batter.

IPL 2024: MS Dhoni’s glorious captaincy run at CSK – from a Master to Thala

<p>Ahead of IPL 2024, there isn't good news for the defending champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK). The MS Dhoni-led franchise is dealing with injury woes, with Devon Conway and Matheesha&nbsp;Pathirana's availability under dark clouds. On Monday (March 18), pacer Mustafizur Rahman -- who was bought by Chennai in IPL 2024 mini-auction last year -- was stretched off the field during Bangladesh's final ODI versus Sri Lanka at Chattogram.</p>

<p>Mustafizur, fondly known as The Fizz,&nbsp;suffered severe cramps during the three-match series decider&nbsp;in Chattogram. The pacer had claimed two wickets for 39 runs in nine&nbsp;overs but&nbsp;was seen clutching his stomach. In addition, he&nbsp;fell to the ground after finishing the 42nd over of the&nbsp;Lankan innings. He was given the ball to bowl the&nbsp;48th over, however, the 28-year-old was unable to complete the first delivery and, hence, Soumya Sarkar had to takeover from him.</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/i-know-he-is-mi-skipper-hardik-says-he-wont-feel-awkward-in-leading-india-captain-rohit-in-ipl-2024-701487">'I know he is...': MI skipper Hardik says he won't feel 'awkward' in leading India captain Rohit in IPL 2024</a></strong></p>

<p>The CSK pacer&nbsp;was stretched off the field as he was in considerable pain.<strong>&nbsp;Here is the post shared on social media platform X, formerly Twitter:</strong></p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Mustafizur Rahman goes back in a stretcher after getting body cramps. He looks in bad shape currently. <a href="https://t.co/Ufmn9tIRX0">pic.twitter.com/Ufmn9tIRX0</a></p>
— 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐢𝐨 (@SergioCSKK) <a href="https://twitter.com/SergioCSKK/status/1769632640712491032?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 18, 2024</a></blockquote>
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<p>Talking about the Ban-SL 3rd ODI, Kusal Mendis-led Lanka rode on&nbsp;Janith Liyanage's 101 to post a moderate 235 for 6. Taskin Ahmed starred with 3 for 42 whereas Mustafizur, playing his first game of the three ODIs, ended with two scalps. In reply, the Najmul Shanto-led Bangla Tigers were led by&nbsp;Tanzid Hasan's 84, Musfiqur Rahman's 37 and Rishad Hossain's 18-ball 48* to chase down the target in 40.2 overs. With this, the hosts won the series 2-1 after conceding the three T20Is by the same margin.</p>

<p>Meanwhile, Bangladesh&nbsp;cricket is yet to issue an update on Mustafizur. Dhoni-led CSK will be hoping for the pacer's speedy recovery, who&nbsp;was expected to linkup with the Yellow Army&nbsp;after the ODI series.</p>

<p>IPL 2024 starts on March 22 with CSK hosting Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in Chennai.</p>

<p><strong>CSK squad for IPL 2024:</strong>&nbsp;MS Dhoni, Devon Conway, Avanish Rao Aravelly, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shaik Rasheed, Ajinkya Rahane, Sameer Rizvi, Moeen Ali, Shivam Dube, Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Ravindra Jadeja, Mitchell Santner, Ajay Mandal, Nishant Sindhu, Rachin Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell, Shardul Thakur, Deepak Chahar, Tushar Deshpande, Matheesha Pathirana, Simarjeet Singh, Prashant Solanki, Maheesh Theekshana, Mustafizur Rahman, Mukesh Choudhary.</p>


Ahead of IPL 2024, there isn't good news for the defending champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK). The MS Dhoni-led franchise is dealing with injury woes, with Devon Conway and Matheesha Pathirana's availability under dark clouds.

Ahead of IPL 2024, there isn't good news for the defending champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK). The MS Dhoni-led franchise is dealing with injury woes, with Devon Conway and Matheesha Pathirana's availability under dark clouds. On Monday (March 18), pacer Mustafizur Rahman -- who was bought by Chennai in IPL 2024 mini-auction last year -- was stretched off the field during Bangladesh's final ODI versus Sri Lanka at Chattogram. Mustafizur, fondly known as The Fizz, suffered severe cramps during the three-match series decider in Chattogram. The pacer had claimed two wickets for 39 runs in nine overs but was seen clutching his stomach. In addition, he fell to the ground after finishing the 42nd over of the Lankan innings. He was given the ball to bowl the 48th over, however, the 28-year-old was unable to complete the first delivery and, hence, Soumya Sarkar had to takeover from him. Also read: 'I know he is...': MI skipper Hardik says he won't feel 'awkward' in leading India captain Rohit in IPL 2024 The CSK pacer was stretched off the field as he was in considerable pain. Here is the post shared on social media platform X, formerly Twitter: Mustafizur Rahman goes back in a stretcher after getting body cramps. He looks in bad shape currently. pic.twitter.com/Ufmn9tIRX0 — 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐢𝐨 (@SergioCSKK) March 18, 2024 × Talking about the Ban-SL 3rd ODI, Kusal Mendis-led Lanka rode on Janith Liyanage's 101 to post a moderate 235 for 6. Taskin Ahmed starred with 3 for 42 whereas Mustafizur, playing his first game of the three ODIs, ended with two scalps. In reply, the Najmul Shanto-led Bangla Tigers were led by Tanzid Hasan's 84, Musfiqur Rahman's 37 and Rishad Hossain's 18-ball 48* to chase down the target in 40.2 overs. With this, the hosts won the series 2-1 after conceding the three T20Is by the same margin. Meanwhile, Bangladesh cricket is yet to issue an update on Mustafizur. Dhoni-led CSK will be hoping for the pacer's speedy recovery, who was expected to linkup with the Yellow Army after the ODI series. IPL 2024 starts on March 22 with CSK hosting Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in Chennai. CSK squad for IPL 2024: MS Dhoni, Devon Conway, Avanish Rao Aravelly, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shaik Rasheed, Ajinkya Rahane, Sameer Rizvi, Moeen Ali, Shivam Dube, Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Ravindra Jadeja, Mitchell Santner, Ajay Mandal, Nishant Sindhu, Rachin Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell, Shardul Thakur, Deepak Chahar, Tushar Deshpande, Matheesha Pathirana, Simarjeet Singh, Prashant Solanki, Maheesh Theekshana, Mustafizur Rahman, Mukesh Choudhary.

IPL 2024: Trouble for MS Dhoni's CSK! Mustafizur Rahman stretchered off field during Ban-SL 3rd ODI

<p><strong>CSK complete squad 2024:&nbsp;</strong>The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 auction got done on Tuesday (Dec 19) in Dubai. All the 10 teams planned and strategised to revamp their squads ahead of the next season, which will be held early next year.</p>

<p>Talking about the MS Dhoni-led Chennai Super Kings (CSK), who&nbsp;won their fifth title in this year's edition, the team wanted to strengthen the&nbsp;squad with some valuable additions. CSK went big on New Zealand players, buying Daryl Mitchell for a whooping INR 14 core and Rachin Ravindra for INR 1.8 crore. They also bought India bowler Shardul Thakur for INR 4 crore.</p>

<h2><strong>CSK IPL Auction 2023 Buys:</strong></h2>

<p>Rachin Ravindra goes to the Yellow Army for <strong>INR 1.8 crore (180 million).</strong></p>

<p>Shardul Thakur rejoins the CSK setup for <strong>INR 4 crore (400 million).</strong></p>

<p>Daryl Mitchell comes to CSK for INR <strong>14 crore (140 million).</strong></p>

<p>Sameer Rizvi, the first uncapped player of the IPL auction 2024 joins CSK for <strong>INR 8.4Cr (84 million).</strong></p>

<p>Bangladesh bowler Mustafizur Rahman is a Super King for <strong>INR 2 Crore.</strong></p>

<p>Uncapped Avinash Rao bought by Chennai Super Kings for <strong>INR 20 lakh.</strong></p>

<p>It is safe to say that CSK have a fairly strong starting XI. However, with the release of Ben Stokes, they will aim for an overseas fast-bowling all-rounder. They will look for someone who can seamlessly fit into that middle order to replace Moeen Ali in games that are not&nbsp;in Chepauk. Similarly, the Chennai setup will also hope for adding more to their pace battery, someone who can bolster their death bowling and ease Matheesha Pathirana's workload (who can be injury prone as well).&nbsp;</p>

<p>CSK's biggest headache will be to look for an able successor of Ambati Rayudu, who retired from all forms of cricket after IPL 2023. They will look for someone who can be their middle-overs enforcer and play spin with comfort. It will be big shoes to fill.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/lsg-ipl-auction-2024-live-lucknow-super-giants-captain-batsmen-bowlers-keepers-remaining-purse-squad-670795">LSG IPL Auction 2024 LIVE: Lucknow Super Giants captain, batsmen, bowlers, keepers, remaining purse, squad</a></strong></p>

<p><b>Existing squad breakdown before auction</b></p>

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<p><b>Top-order batters:&nbsp;</b>Ruturaj Gaikwad, Devon Conway, Ajinkya Rahane, Shaik Rasheed</p>
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<p><b>Finishers:</b>&nbsp;MS Dhoni</p>
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<p><b>Allrounders:</b>&nbsp;Ravindra Jadeja, Shivam Dube, Moeen Ali, Ajay Mandal, Nishant Sindhu</p>
</section>

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<p><b>Spinners:&nbsp;</b>Mitchell Santner, Maheesh Theekshana, Prashant Solanki</p>
</section>

<section itemprop="articleBody">
<p><b>Fast bowlers:</b>&nbsp;Deepak Chahar, Matheesha Pathirana, Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Mukesh Choudhary, Tushar Deshpande, Simarjeet Singh</p>
</section>

<p><strong>CSK squad after the auction</strong></p>

<p>MS Dhoni&nbsp;(c) (wk), Moeen Ali, Deepak Chahar, Devon Conway (wk), Tushar Deshpande, Shivam Dube, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Ravindra Jadeja, Ajay Mandal, Mukesh Choudhary, Matheesha Pathirana, Ajinkya Rahane, Shaik Rasheed, Mitchell Santner, Simarjeet Singh, Nishant Sindhu, Prashant Solanki, Maheesh Theekshana, Rachin Ravindra, Shardul Thakur, Daryl Mitchell, Sameer Rizvi, Mustafizur Rahman, Avanish Rao Aravelly</p>


CSK complete squad 2024: The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 auction got done on Tuesday (Dec 19) in Dubai. All the 10 teams planned and strategised to revamp their squads ahead of the next season, which will be held early next year.

CSK complete squad 2024: The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 auction got done on Tuesday (Dec 19) in Dubai. All the 10 teams planned and strategised to revamp their squads ahead of the next season, which will be held early next year. Talking about the MS Dhoni-led Chennai Super Kings (CSK), who won their fifth title in this year's edition, the team wanted to strengthen the squad with some valuable additions. CSK went big on New Zealand players, buying Daryl Mitchell for a whooping INR 14 core and Rachin Ravindra for INR 1.8 crore. They also bought India bowler Shardul Thakur for INR 4 crore. CSK IPL Auction 2023 Buys: Rachin Ravindra goes to the Yellow Army for INR 1.8 crore (180 million). Shardul Thakur rejoins the CSK setup for INR 4 crore (400 million). Daryl Mitchell comes to CSK for INR 14 crore (140 million). Sameer Rizvi, the first uncapped player of the IPL auction 2024 joins CSK for INR 8.4Cr (84 million). Bangladesh bowler Mustafizur Rahman is a Super King for INR 2 Crore. Uncapped Avinash Rao bought by Chennai Super Kings for INR 20 lakh. It is safe to say that CSK have a fairly strong starting XI. However, with the release of Ben Stokes, they will aim for an overseas fast-bowling all-rounder. They will look for someone who can seamlessly fit into that middle order to replace Moeen Ali in games that are not in Chepauk. Similarly, the Chennai setup will also hope for adding more to their pace battery, someone who can bolster their death bowling and ease Matheesha Pathirana's workload (who can be injury prone as well). CSK's biggest headache will be to look for an able successor of Ambati Rayudu, who retired from all forms of cricket after IPL 2023. They will look for someone who can be their middle-overs enforcer and play spin with comfort. It will be big shoes to fill. Also read: LSG IPL Auction 2024 LIVE: Lucknow Super Giants captain, batsmen, bowlers, keepers, remaining purse, squad Existing squad breakdown before auction Top-order batters: Ruturaj Gaikwad, Devon Conway, Ajinkya Rahane, Shaik Rasheed Finishers: MS Dhoni Allrounders: Ravindra Jadeja, Shivam Dube, Moeen Ali, Ajay Mandal, Nishant Sindhu Spinners: Mitchell Santner, Maheesh Theekshana, Prashant Solanki Fast bowlers: Deepak Chahar, Matheesha Pathirana, Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Mukesh Choudhary, Tushar Deshpande, Simarjeet Singh CSK squad after the auction MS Dhoni (c) (wk), Moeen Ali, Deepak Chahar, Devon Conway (wk), Tushar Deshpande, Shivam Dube, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Ravindra Jadeja, Ajay Mandal, Mukesh Choudhary, Matheesha Pathirana, Ajinkya Rahane, Shaik Rasheed, Mitchell Santner, Simarjeet Singh, Nishant Sindhu, Prashant Solanki, Maheesh Theekshana, Rachin Ravindra, Shardul Thakur, Daryl Mitchell, Sameer Rizvi, Mustafizur Rahman, Avanish Rao Aravelly

CSK 2024 updated squad: IPL 2024, Chennai Super Kings, probable XI, ruled out & replacement, schedule

<p>Former Chennai Super Kings player Suresh Raina has opined that opener Ruturaj Gaikwad is best suited to take over from Mahendra Singh Dhoni once the talismanic captain hangs up his boots. The record IPL-winning captain is 42 this season which means it could very well be his last assignment with the club. &nbsp;</p>

<p>Dhoni guided CSK to a fifth title last season despite suffering from a wobbly knee throughout the tournament. At the time, many wondered if it would be the last swansong for him but the former Indian captain said he would return the next year.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>"The biggest question is who will be their next captain? Even if Dhoni stepped away as captain, he would be there in the dugout as a mental toughness coach or just for his presence. But who does MS Dhoni have his eyes on? I think Ruturaj Gaikwad will be a good option," Raina told <em>Jio Cinema</em>.</p>

<p>While Raina went with an unorthodox choice, most players and experts have opined that CSK might go with all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja who was handed the captaincy hat when Dhoni briefly quit the job in 2022.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Raina added he wanted his former teammate to continue playing for another few years, even if he hands over the reins to someone else.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"This year is probably more important for CSK than MS Dhoni because we will see who he is going to select as his deputy and probably say, 'You handle this now. I've been looking after the team since 2008'. He is 42 years old now. I would like to see him play for five more years or at least 2-3 years."</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/saw-tendulkar-receive-this-kind-of-love-rainas-take-on-csk-captain-dhonis-massive-fandom-before-ipl-2024-699749"><strong>Also read |&nbsp;Saw Tendulkar receive this kind of love: Raina’s take on CSK captain Dhoni’s massive fandom before IPL 2024</strong></a></p>

<h2><strong>CSK's 2024 campaign&nbsp;</strong></h2>

<p>Dhoni has been leading the CSK camp since the inception of IPL in 2008. Under him, Chennai have won as many as five titles, the latest coming in 2023 edition, and have entered the playoffs in every season barring 2020 and 2022.&nbsp;</p>

<p>CSK will open the 2024 campaign as the defending champions against Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the MA Chidamabaram Stadium in Chennai. If Dhoni goes the distance this year, he will sign off as the most-successful captain the tournament has witnessed in his history as Rohit Sharma is no more the Mumbai Indians captain.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>CSK squad for IPL 2024:</strong>&nbsp;MS Dhoni, Devon Conway, Avanish Rao Aravelly, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shaik Rasheed, Ajinkya Rahane, Sameer Rizvi, Moeen Ali, Shivam Dube, Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Ravindra Jadeja, Mitchell Santner, Ajay Mandal, Nishant Sindhu, Rachin Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell, Shardul Thakur, Deepak Chahar, Tushar Deshpande, Matheesha Pathirana, Simarjeet Singh, Prashant Solanki, Maheesh Theekshana, Mustafizur Rahman, Mukesh Choudhary</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


Former Chennai Super Kings player Suresh Raina has opined that opener Ruturaj Gaikwad is best suited to take over from Mahendra Singh Dhoni once the talismanic captain hangs up his boots.

Former Chennai Super Kings player Suresh Raina has opined that opener Ruturaj Gaikwad is best suited to take over from Mahendra Singh Dhoni once the talismanic captain hangs up his boots. The record IPL-winning captain is 42 this season which means it could very well be his last assignment with the club. Dhoni guided CSK to a fifth title last season despite suffering from a wobbly knee throughout the tournament. At the time, many wondered if it would be the last swansong for him but the former Indian captain said he would return the next year. "The biggest question is who will be their next captain? Even if Dhoni stepped away as captain, he would be there in the dugout as a mental toughness coach or just for his presence. But who does MS Dhoni have his eyes on? I think Ruturaj Gaikwad will be a good option," Raina told Jio Cinema. While Raina went with an unorthodox choice, most players and experts have opined that CSK might go with all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja who was handed the captaincy hat when Dhoni briefly quit the job in 2022. Raina added he wanted his former teammate to continue playing for another few years, even if he hands over the reins to someone else. "This year is probably more important for CSK than MS Dhoni because we will see who he is going to select as his deputy and probably say, 'You handle this now. I've been looking after the team since 2008'. He is 42 years old now. I would like to see him play for five more years or at least 2-3 years." Also read | Saw Tendulkar receive this kind of love: Raina’s take on CSK captain Dhoni’s massive fandom before IPL 2024 CSK's 2024 campaign Dhoni has been leading the CSK camp since the inception of IPL in 2008. Under him, Chennai have won as many as five titles, the latest coming in 2023 edition, and have entered the playoffs in every season barring 2020 and 2022. CSK will open the 2024 campaign as the defending champions against Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the MA Chidamabaram Stadium in Chennai. If Dhoni goes the distance this year, he will sign off as the most-successful captain the tournament has witnessed in his history as Rohit Sharma is no more the Mumbai Indians captain. CSK squad for IPL 2024: MS Dhoni, Devon Conway, Avanish Rao Aravelly, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shaik Rasheed, Ajinkya Rahane, Sameer Rizvi, Moeen Ali, Shivam Dube, Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Ravindra Jadeja, Mitchell Santner, Ajay Mandal, Nishant Sindhu, Rachin Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell, Shardul Thakur, Deepak Chahar, Tushar Deshpande, Matheesha Pathirana, Simarjeet Singh, Prashant Solanki, Maheesh Theekshana, Mustafizur Rahman, Mukesh Choudhary (With inputs from agencies)

Suresh Raina names surprise pick to replace MS Dhoni as CSK captain

<p>Former Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians player Parthiv Patel has hailed the impact of Rohit Sharma as captain over MS Dhoni as teams get ready for the latest season of the Indian Premier League (IPL). With just three days to go for the start of the IPL 2024, Parthiv Patel has heaped praise on Rohit, who will no longer serve as captain of the Mumbai Indians. The five-time champions have opted to bring Hardik Pandya as the new skipper after he was traded from Gujarat Titans in November.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>Rohit has fewer blunders</strong></h2>

<p>"When there's a tense match, sometimes wrong decisions or blunders are made. But the hallmark of Rohit Sharma's captaincy is that in the last 10 years, you don't remember that he made a blunder," Parthiv told JioCinema.</p>

<p>"Dhoni has made blunders like giving Pawan Negi an over, but if you see Rohit, you'll never see a blunder. Keeping the process simple is something that Dhoni advises but we see Rohit practice that in games," Parthiv added.</p>

<p>Due to general elections in India, the date for the high-voltage clash between Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings is yet to be finalised. Rohit will be in his 14th season with the franchise while Dhoni will represent CSK for a record 15th season. Both Dhoni and Rohit remain the most successful captains in the history of the tournament with five wins each.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Rohit has won the IPL on six occasions and will look to add a seventh title in the coming season while Dhoni could join him if he has his hand on one more title.&nbsp;</p>

<p>CSK will start their IPL 2024 season against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) on Friday in the curtain-raiser clash at the M. A. Chidambaram Stadium. Mumbai on the other hand will be in action on Sunday when they take on Pandya’s former side Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/ipl-2024-we-will-attack-rcb-coach-andy-flower-shares-strategy-for-upcoming-season-702144">IPL 2024: 'We will attack...,' RCB coach Andy Flower shares strategy for upcoming season</a></p>

<h2><strong>Chennai Super Kings squad</strong></h2>

<p>Ajay Mandal, Ajinkya Rahane, Avanish Rao Aravelly, Daryl Mitchell, Deepak Chahar, MS Dhoni (C), Maheesh Theekshana, Mitchell Santner, Moeen Ali, Mukesh Choudhary, Mustafizur Rahman, Nishant Sindhu, Prashant Solanki, Rachin Ravindra, Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Ravindra Jadeja, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Sameer Rizvi, Shaik Rasheed, Shardul Thakur, Shivam Dube, Simarjeet Singh, Tushar Deshpande ​</p>


Former Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians player Parthiv Patel has hailed the impact of Rohit Sharma as captain over MS Dhoni as teams get ready for the latest season of the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Former Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians player Parthiv Patel has hailed the impact of Rohit Sharma as captain over MS Dhoni as teams get ready for the latest season of the Indian Premier League (IPL). With just three days to go for the start of the IPL 2024, Parthiv Patel has heaped praise on Rohit, who will no longer serve as captain of the Mumbai Indians. The five-time champions have opted to bring Hardik Pandya as the new skipper after he was traded from Gujarat Titans in November. Rohit has fewer blunders "When there's a tense match, sometimes wrong decisions or blunders are made. But the hallmark of Rohit Sharma's captaincy is that in the last 10 years, you don't remember that he made a blunder," Parthiv told JioCinema. "Dhoni has made blunders like giving Pawan Negi an over, but if you see Rohit, you'll never see a blunder. Keeping the process simple is something that Dhoni advises but we see Rohit practice that in games," Parthiv added. Due to general elections in India, the date for the high-voltage clash between Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings is yet to be finalised. Rohit will be in his 14th season with the franchise while Dhoni will represent CSK for a record 15th season. Both Dhoni and Rohit remain the most successful captains in the history of the tournament with five wins each. Rohit has won the IPL on six occasions and will look to add a seventh title in the coming season while Dhoni could join him if he has his hand on one more title. CSK will start their IPL 2024 season against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) on Friday in the curtain-raiser clash at the M. A. Chidambaram Stadium. Mumbai on the other hand will be in action on Sunday when they take on Pandya’s former side Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad. ALSO READ | IPL 2024: 'We will attack...,' RCB coach Andy Flower shares strategy for upcoming season Chennai Super Kings squad Ajay Mandal, Ajinkya Rahane, Avanish Rao Aravelly, Daryl Mitchell, Deepak Chahar, MS Dhoni (C), Maheesh Theekshana, Mitchell Santner, Moeen Ali, Mukesh Choudhary, Mustafizur Rahman, Nishant Sindhu, Prashant Solanki, Rachin Ravindra, Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Ravindra Jadeja, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Sameer Rizvi, Shaik Rasheed, Shardul Thakur, Shivam Dube, Simarjeet Singh, Tushar Deshpande

IPL 2024: Former CSK star picks Rohit Sharma over MS Dhoni in leadership role, says ‘he doesn’t make blunder’

<p>IPL 2024 kicks off on March 22 with the MS Dhoni-led Chennai Super Kings (CSK), who are also the defending champions, taking on Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in Chennai. Like every year, there is a lot of buzz about the upcoming IPL season. Dhoni's return is once again making the headlines whereas his protege Rishabh Pant will also mark&nbsp;his comeback at the competitive level since his horrific car crash. Meanwhile, Hardik Pandya will start his captaincy tenure with the Mumbai Indians (MI),&nbsp;heralding a new era for the five-time winners (following the end of Rohit Sharma's inspiring leadership).</p>

<p>Ahead of the IPL, WION exclusively interacted with former England spinner Graeme Swann. Swann spoke at length on Dhoni's IPL return and hailed the 42-year-old's fitness and longevity. In addition, he backed MI's bold call to replace Rohit with Hardik as the&nbsp;captain.</p>

<h2><strong>'I don't think IPL will be the same without MSD'</strong></h2>

<p>Dhoni has featured in all IPL seasons since its inception in 2008. At 42, he continues to inspire with his fitness and longevity. Hence, Swann said, "Oh, I have no worries about Dhoni. He is the IPL. He has been there since its inception. He is an absolute megastar in India. I don't think it will be the same without him. I am really looking forward to see him play once again. And he is such a great leader on the field. Even if his fitness wasn't the same as it was 5-6 years (ago), he is still very close to that.&nbsp;He is still performing at an elite level. I have no worries about MS Dhoni playing."</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2024-he-is-like-a-diesel-engine-that-never-stops-de-villiers-hails-csk-captain-ms-dhonis-longevity-699968">IPL 2024: 'He is like a diesel engine that never stops' - De Villiers hails CSK captain MS Dhoni's longevity</a></strong></p>

<h2><strong>Everyone knew Hardik would join Mumbai at some point: Swann</strong></h2>

<p>On the other hand, Swann backed MI team management's call to appoint Hardik as the captain, who rejoined the team after being traded by Gujarat Titans (GT) ahead of last year's mini-auction in Dubai. While many have slammed their decision to remove Rohit, the Englishman claims it was the right call.</p>

<p>In this regard, he said, "Oh yes. It was (the right decision). He led two years in Gujarat and he was unbelievable. He got that title under his belt. He is a natural leader. Everyone knew at some point that he would return to the mother's arms in Mumbai. I think Mumbai recruited very well. They look very strong now."</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/wouldve-given-rohit-sharma-one-more-season-and-let-hardik-pandya-be-vice-captain-yuvraj-on-mi-captaincy-699935"><strong>Would've given Rohit Sharma one more season as Mumbai Indians captain: Yuvraj</strong></a></p>

<p>All eyes are on Dhoni's comeback on the 22-yard cricket strip. This might be his last season in the IPL. Meanwhile, it will be interesting to see how Hardik leads the star-studded MI lineup after his success as a leader in GT (where he led them to the championship in their maiden season in 2022).</p>

<p><strong>Squads:</strong></p>

<p><strong>CSK squad for IPL 2024:</strong>&nbsp;MS Dhoni, Devon Conway, Avanish Rao Aravelly, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shaik Rasheed, Ajinkya Rahane, Sameer Rizvi, Moeen Ali, Shivam Dube, Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Ravindra Jadeja, Mitchell Santner, Ajay Mandal, Nishant Sindhu, Rachin Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell, Shardul Thakur, Deepak Chahar, Tushar Deshpande, Matheesha Pathirana, Simarjeet Singh, Prashant Solanki, Maheesh Theekshana, Mustafizur Rahman, Mukesh Choudhary.</p>

<p><strong>MI squad for IPL 2024:</strong>&nbsp;Rohit Sharma, Dewald Brevis, Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan, N. Tilak Varma, Tim David, Vishnu Vinod, Arjun Tendulkar, Shams Mulani, Nehal Wadhera, Jasprit Bumrah, Kumar Kartikeya, Piyush Chawla, Akash Madhwal, Jason Behrendorff, Romario Shepherd, Hardik Pandya (c), Gerald Coetzee, Dilshan Madushanka, Shreyas Gopal, Nuwan Thushara, Naman Dhir, Anshul Kamboj, Mohammad Nabi, Shivalik Sharma.&nbsp;</p>


IPL 2024 kicks off on March 22 with the MS Dhoni-led Chennai Super Kings (CSK), who are also the defending champions, taking on Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in Chennai.

IPL 2024 kicks off on March 22 with the MS Dhoni-led Chennai Super Kings (CSK), who are also the defending champions, taking on Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in Chennai. Like every year, there is a lot of buzz about the upcoming IPL season. Dhoni's return is once again making the headlines whereas his protege Rishabh Pant will also mark his comeback at the competitive level since his horrific car crash. Meanwhile, Hardik Pandya will start his captaincy tenure with the Mumbai Indians (MI), heralding a new era for the five-time winners (following the end of Rohit Sharma's inspiring leadership). Ahead of the IPL, WION exclusively interacted with former England spinner Graeme Swann. Swann spoke at length on Dhoni's IPL return and hailed the 42-year-old's fitness and longevity. In addition, he backed MI's bold call to replace Rohit with Hardik as the captain. 'I don't think IPL will be the same without MSD' Dhoni has featured in all IPL seasons since its inception in 2008. At 42, he continues to inspire with his fitness and longevity. Hence, Swann said, "Oh, I have no worries about Dhoni. He is the IPL. He has been there since its inception. He is an absolute megastar in India. I don't think it will be the same without him. I am really looking forward to see him play once again. And he is such a great leader on the field. Even if his fitness wasn't the same as it was 5-6 years (ago), he is still very close to that. He is still performing at an elite level. I have no worries about MS Dhoni playing." Also read: IPL 2024: 'He is like a diesel engine that never stops' - De Villiers hails CSK captain MS Dhoni's longevity Everyone knew Hardik would join Mumbai at some point: Swann On the other hand, Swann backed MI team management's call to appoint Hardik as the captain, who rejoined the team after being traded by Gujarat Titans (GT) ahead of last year's mini-auction in Dubai. While many have slammed their decision to remove Rohit, the Englishman claims it was the right call. In this regard, he said, "Oh yes. It was (the right decision). He led two years in Gujarat and he was unbelievable. He got that title under his belt. He is a natural leader. Everyone knew at some point that he would return to the mother's arms in Mumbai. I think Mumbai recruited very well. They look very strong now." Also read: Would've given Rohit Sharma one more season as Mumbai Indians captain: Yuvraj All eyes are on Dhoni's comeback on the 22-yard cricket strip. This might be his last season in the IPL. Meanwhile, it will be interesting to see how Hardik leads the star-studded MI lineup after his success as a leader in GT (where he led them to the championship in their maiden season in 2022). Squads: CSK squad for IPL 2024: MS Dhoni, Devon Conway, Avanish Rao Aravelly, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shaik Rasheed, Ajinkya Rahane, Sameer Rizvi, Moeen Ali, Shivam Dube, Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Ravindra Jadeja, Mitchell Santner, Ajay Mandal, Nishant Sindhu, Rachin Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell, Shardul Thakur, Deepak Chahar, Tushar Deshpande, Matheesha Pathirana, Simarjeet Singh, Prashant Solanki, Maheesh Theekshana, Mustafizur Rahman, Mukesh Choudhary. MI squad for IPL 2024: Rohit Sharma, Dewald Brevis, Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan, N. Tilak Varma, Tim David, Vishnu Vinod, Arjun Tendulkar, Shams Mulani, Nehal Wadhera, Jasprit Bumrah, Kumar Kartikeya, Piyush Chawla, Akash Madhwal, Jason Behrendorff, Romario Shepherd, Hardik Pandya (c), Gerald Coetzee, Dilshan Madushanka, Shreyas Gopal, Nuwan Thushara, Naman Dhir, Anshul Kamboj, Mohammad Nabi, Shivalik Sharma.

Exclusive: 'He is the IPL' - Graeme Swann lauds MS Dhoni's fitness; backs Hardik's appointment as MI captain

<p>Former Chennai Super Kings batter and IPL great Ambati Rayudu has finally answered the most-asked question – the reason for CSK’s success in the Indian Premier League. A two-time IPL winner with CSK, Rayudu revealed what makes this team the most successful regarding reach, connectivity with fans, and trophies won&nbsp;since the inception of the tournament.</p>

<p>Having retired from the competition last year following Chennai’s joint-most IPL title win (Mumbai Indians too has 5 titles to its name), Rayudu shed light on the dressing room environment and what makes CSK different from other outfits in the tournament.</p>

<p>Rayudu said the approachable nature of the franchise, similar to that of their captain and icon, MS Dhoni, makes all the difference. Rayudu explains how connecting with the fans throughout the season, be it at the team hotel or during the training sessions, increases the bond, making the fans feel they are part of the team.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2024-praveen-kumar-launches-scathing-attack-on-hardik-pandya-says-why-special-treatment-for-him-700459">IPL 2024: Praveen Kumar launches scathing attack on Hardik Pandya for 'special treatment'</a></strong></p>

<p>“The biggest connect is CSK being CSK. They are very homely. It's like sitting in your living room. That's how CSK is. They are very approachable, even when you are staying in a hotel, people will come and click pictures with you fans will come and meet you.&nbsp;</p>

<p>“They allow people to meet the players and watch training so there is a sense of connect, and they make the fans feel that it's their own team,” Rayudu said during the 'Star Sports Press Room.</p>

<h2>MS brings everyone together</h2>

<p>Having the reputation of being the most followed man in Indian cricket since Sachin Tendulkar, MS Dhoni keeps the team together, Rayudu says. The former top-order batter also mentions that with the massive fan following MS has, he is looked up to by everyone, even by Tamil fans worldwide.&nbsp;</p>

<p>“Fans feel like they are playing in the team. They are part of the team, and that's what makes the CSK family a whole lot bigger, and now it's spread across the world, they have a huge fan base and most importantly, they are MS Dhoni fans first, and then CSK fans it's not the other way around," said&nbsp;Rayudu.</p>

<p>“It's he who brings everybody together be it the Tamil-speaking population or anyone around the world. He is that one pillar, who everybody looks up to,” he added.</p>

<p>Chennai Super Kings will play the IPL 2024 opener against Royal Challengers Bangalore at their home ground in Chepauk on March 22. Veteran MS Dhoni will captain the side in perhaps his final IPL.</p>


Former Chennai Super Kings batter and IPL great Ambati Rayudu has finally answered the most-asked question – the reason for CSK’s success in the Indian Premier League.

Former Chennai Super Kings batter and IPL great Ambati Rayudu has finally answered the most-asked question – the reason for CSK’s success in the Indian Premier League. A two-time IPL winner with CSK, Rayudu revealed what makes this team the most successful regarding reach, connectivity with fans, and trophies won since the inception of the tournament. Having retired from the competition last year following Chennai’s joint-most IPL title win (Mumbai Indians too has 5 titles to its name), Rayudu shed light on the dressing room environment and what makes CSK different from other outfits in the tournament. Rayudu said the approachable nature of the franchise, similar to that of their captain and icon, MS Dhoni, makes all the difference. Rayudu explains how connecting with the fans throughout the season, be it at the team hotel or during the training sessions, increases the bond, making the fans feel they are part of the team. ALSO READ: IPL 2024: Praveen Kumar launches scathing attack on Hardik Pandya for 'special treatment' “The biggest connect is CSK being CSK. They are very homely. It's like sitting in your living room. That's how CSK is. They are very approachable, even when you are staying in a hotel, people will come and click pictures with you fans will come and meet you. “They allow people to meet the players and watch training so there is a sense of connect, and they make the fans feel that it's their own team,” Rayudu said during the 'Star Sports Press Room. MS brings everyone together Having the reputation of being the most followed man in Indian cricket since Sachin Tendulkar, MS Dhoni keeps the team together, Rayudu says. The former top-order batter also mentions that with the massive fan following MS has, he is looked up to by everyone, even by Tamil fans worldwide. “Fans feel like they are playing in the team. They are part of the team, and that's what makes the CSK family a whole lot bigger, and now it's spread across the world, they have a huge fan base and most importantly, they are MS Dhoni fans first, and then CSK fans it's not the other way around," said Rayudu. “It's he who brings everybody together be it the Tamil-speaking population or anyone around the world. He is that one pillar, who everybody looks up to,” he added. Chennai Super Kings will play the IPL 2024 opener against Royal Challengers Bangalore at their home ground in Chepauk on March 22. Veteran MS Dhoni will captain the side in perhaps his final IPL.

IPL 2024: Ambati Rayudu ends suspense behind CSK’s success, reveals what makes them connectable with fans

<p>AB de Villiers, former South Africa captain&nbsp;and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) legend, has lauded MS Dhoni's longevity ahead of the upcoming IPL 2024 edition, which kicks off on March 22. Dhoni, at 42, is gearing up for his 17th IPL season, which is believed to be his last-ever appearance in the cash-rich league. In IPL 2023, he led the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) to their fifth title and many believed he would retire from the hugely-popular T20 league owing to his knee injury.&nbsp;However, the Chennai keeper-captain is set for another IPL season, highly impressing De Villiers.</p>

<h2><strong>'He just seems to be this diesel engine that never ends'</strong></h2>

<p>On his YouTube channel, ABD said, "There were a lot of rumours about MS Dhoni finishing up last year; that was not the case, ladies and gentlemen. He would be back again." He further opined, "Will this be his final season? No one knows. He just seems to be this diesel engine that never ends. He keeps running. What an incredible player, what an incredible captain,'' the ex-Proteas cricketer mentioned.</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/wouldve-given-rohit-sharma-one-more-season-and-let-hardik-pandya-be-vice-captain-yuvraj-on-mi-captaincy-699935">Would've given Rohit Sharma one more season and let Hardik Pandya be vice-captain: Yuvraj on MI captaincy</a></strong></p>

<p>De Villiers shifted his focus on the CSK setup and lauded their team management for always backing their core group, which has worked wonders for the Yellow Army.</p>

<p>He added, "I believe it's through their presence, it's through the leadership of MSD, a calm coach in Stephen Fleming, senior players in Ravindra Jadeja and others who have really set this incredible culture alive. They are a very intimidating team to play against. They are never easy to beat. That is always a great characteristic of a very successful unit, of a very successful franchise."</p>

<p>CSK are eyeing a mighty sixth IPL title in the upcoming edition. They have been further bolstered by the addition of Daryl Mitchell, Mustafizur Rahman, Rachin Ravindra etc, however, they will miss opener Devon Conway who is likely to miss the entire edition due to injury concerns.</p>

<p>CSK take on RCB in IPL 2024 opener, in Chennai, on March 22.</p>

<p><strong>CSK squad for IPL 2024:</strong>&nbsp;MS Dhoni, Devon Conway, Avanish Rao Aravelly, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shaik Rasheed, Ajinkya Rahane, Sameer Rizvi, Moeen Ali, Shivam Dube, Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Ravindra Jadeja, Mitchell Santner, Ajay Mandal, Nishant Sindhu, Rachin Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell, Shardul Thakur, Deepak Chahar, Tushar Deshpande, Matheesha Pathirana, Simarjeet Singh, Prashant Solanki, Maheesh Theekshana, Mustafizur Rahman, Mukesh Choudhary.</p>


AB de Villiers, former South Africa captain and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) legend, has lauded MS Dhoni's longevity ahead of the upcoming IPL 2024 edition, which kicks off on March 22.

AB de Villiers, former South Africa captain and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) legend, has lauded MS Dhoni's longevity ahead of the upcoming IPL 2024 edition, which kicks off on March 22. Dhoni, at 42, is gearing up for his 17th IPL season, which is believed to be his last-ever appearance in the cash-rich league. In IPL 2023, he led the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) to their fifth title and many believed he would retire from the hugely-popular T20 league owing to his knee injury. However, the Chennai keeper-captain is set for another IPL season, highly impressing De Villiers. 'He just seems to be this diesel engine that never ends' On his YouTube channel, ABD said, "There were a lot of rumours about MS Dhoni finishing up last year; that was not the case, ladies and gentlemen. He would be back again." He further opined, "Will this be his final season? No one knows. He just seems to be this diesel engine that never ends. He keeps running. What an incredible player, what an incredible captain,'' the ex-Proteas cricketer mentioned. Also read: Would've given Rohit Sharma one more season and let Hardik Pandya be vice-captain: Yuvraj on MI captaincy De Villiers shifted his focus on the CSK setup and lauded their team management for always backing their core group, which has worked wonders for the Yellow Army. He added, "I believe it's through their presence, it's through the leadership of MSD, a calm coach in Stephen Fleming, senior players in Ravindra Jadeja and others who have really set this incredible culture alive. They are a very intimidating team to play against. They are never easy to beat. That is always a great characteristic of a very successful unit, of a very successful franchise." CSK are eyeing a mighty sixth IPL title in the upcoming edition. They have been further bolstered by the addition of Daryl Mitchell, Mustafizur Rahman, Rachin Ravindra etc, however, they will miss opener Devon Conway who is likely to miss the entire edition due to injury concerns. CSK take on RCB in IPL 2024 opener, in Chennai, on March 22. CSK squad for IPL 2024: MS Dhoni, Devon Conway, Avanish Rao Aravelly, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shaik Rasheed, Ajinkya Rahane, Sameer Rizvi, Moeen Ali, Shivam Dube, Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Ravindra Jadeja, Mitchell Santner, Ajay Mandal, Nishant Sindhu, Rachin Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell, Shardul Thakur, Deepak Chahar, Tushar Deshpande, Matheesha Pathirana, Simarjeet Singh, Prashant Solanki, Maheesh Theekshana, Mustafizur Rahman, Mukesh Choudhary.

IPL 2024: 'He is like a diesel engine that never stops' - De Villiers hails CSK captain MS Dhoni's longevity

<p>Suresh Raina has made a big statement on MS Dhoni's fan following. Raina, who has played under Dhoni's leadership in Team India and Chennai Super Kings (CSK), believes Dhoni's fan-following is on another level and&nbsp;can only be likened to that of Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar, who holds a special place in everyone's hearts. Dhoni is gearing up for the upcoming IPL 2024 edition, which kicks off on March 22 with defending champions Chennai taking on Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in Chennai.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Dhoni has been leading the CSK camp since the inception of the IPL, in 2008. Under him, Chennai have won as many as five titles, the latest coming in 2023 edition, and have entered the playoffs in every season barring 2020 and 2022. While he has a massive following worldwide, his fandom is on another level for his IPL heroics in India, especially in Chennai. Thus, Raina -- who also played a pivotal role in CSK's title wins till 2021 season -- stated that only Tendulkar receives this kind of love from people which is now being witnessed for Dhoni.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"Absolutely, I saw Sachin Tendulkar receive this kind of love when we first came into the Indian team. That love was showered on Mahi bhai by Indian fans thereafter. ‘MSD, Mahendra Singh Dhoni’ the name alone is embedded in people's hearts," Raina, JioCinema IPL expert, said.</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/it-is-incomparable-rcbs-ellyse-perry-makes-bold-claim-about-wpl-699733">'It is incomparable': RCB's Ellyse Perry makes bold claim about WPL</a></strong></p>

<p>Dhoni became a household name soon after his India debut. While he signed off from international cricket with over 17,000 runs, 16 tons, 829 dismissals, the keeper-batter attained cult status by leading India to all ICC titles. Post his retirement, he remains a big face in Indian cricket for his magnanimous success as CSK captain in the IPL. In IPL 2024, he is eyeing a mighty sixth trophy with the Chennai camp, which will make them the most-successful team in the tournament history.</p>

<p><strong>CSK squad for IPL 2024:</strong>&nbsp;MS Dhoni, Devon Conway, Avanish Rao Aravelly, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shaik Rasheed, Ajinkya Rahane, Sameer Rizvi, Moeen Ali, Shivam Dube, Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Ravindra Jadeja, Mitchell Santner, Ajay Mandal, Nishant Sindhu, Rachin Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell, Shardul Thakur, Deepak Chahar, Tushar Deshpande, Matheesha Pathirana, Simarjeet Singh, Prashant Solanki, Maheesh Theekshana, Mustafizur Rahman, Mukesh Choudhary.</p>


Suresh Raina has made a big statement on MS Dhoni's fan following. Raina, who has played under Dhoni's leadership in Team India and Chennai Super Kings (CSK), believes Dhoni's fan-following is on another level and can only be likened to that of Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar, who holds a special place in everyone's hearts.

Suresh Raina has made a big statement on MS Dhoni's fan following. Raina, who has played under Dhoni's leadership in Team India and Chennai Super Kings (CSK), believes Dhoni's fan-following is on another level and can only be likened to that of Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar, who holds a special place in everyone's hearts. Dhoni is gearing up for the upcoming IPL 2024 edition, which kicks off on March 22 with defending champions Chennai taking on Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in Chennai. Dhoni has been leading the CSK camp since the inception of the IPL, in 2008. Under him, Chennai have won as many as five titles, the latest coming in 2023 edition, and have entered the playoffs in every season barring 2020 and 2022. While he has a massive following worldwide, his fandom is on another level for his IPL heroics in India, especially in Chennai. Thus, Raina -- who also played a pivotal role in CSK's title wins till 2021 season -- stated that only Tendulkar receives this kind of love from people which is now being witnessed for Dhoni. "Absolutely, I saw Sachin Tendulkar receive this kind of love when we first came into the Indian team. That love was showered on Mahi bhai by Indian fans thereafter. ‘MSD, Mahendra Singh Dhoni’ the name alone is embedded in people's hearts," Raina, JioCinema IPL expert, said. Also read: 'It is incomparable': RCB's Ellyse Perry makes bold claim about WPL Dhoni became a household name soon after his India debut. While he signed off from international cricket with over 17,000 runs, 16 tons, 829 dismissals, the keeper-batter attained cult status by leading India to all ICC titles. Post his retirement, he remains a big face in Indian cricket for his magnanimous success as CSK captain in the IPL. In IPL 2024, he is eyeing a mighty sixth trophy with the Chennai camp, which will make them the most-successful team in the tournament history. CSK squad for IPL 2024: MS Dhoni, Devon Conway, Avanish Rao Aravelly, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shaik Rasheed, Ajinkya Rahane, Sameer Rizvi, Moeen Ali, Shivam Dube, Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Ravindra Jadeja, Mitchell Santner, Ajay Mandal, Nishant Sindhu, Rachin Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell, Shardul Thakur, Deepak Chahar, Tushar Deshpande, Matheesha Pathirana, Simarjeet Singh, Prashant Solanki, Maheesh Theekshana, Mustafizur Rahman, Mukesh Choudhary.

Saw Tendulkar receive this kind of love: Raina’s take on CSK captain Dhoni’s massive fandom before IPL 2024

<p>MS Dhoni-led Chennai Super Kings (CSK) are gearing up for the upcoming IPL 2024 edition, which kicks off with the defending champions taking on Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) on March 22 in Chennai. Ahead of the season-opener, CSK CEO Kasi Viswanathan revealed that there have been 'internal talks'&nbsp;regarding a succession plan if the forthcoming season turns out to be the last for Dhoni. Further, he also revealed owner N Srinivasan's message when it comes to deciding Dhoni's successor.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>'Let's not talk about captain and vice-captain appointments'</strong></h2>

<p>Talking to former CSK batter S Badrinath on his YouTube channel,&nbsp;Viswanathan said, "See, there have been internal talks. But, Mr. Srinivasan has made it very clear. Let's not talk about captain and vice-captain appointments. Let's leave it to the coach and the captain to decide. Let them decide and convey the information to me, and then I will convey it to you all. He has said that 'the captain and the coach will decide and give us a directive, till then let's all keep quiet'."</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2024-ambati-rayudu-wants-rohit-sharma-to-join-ms-dhonis-csk-in-2025-season-heres-why-698910">IPL 2024: Ambati Rayudu wants Rohit Sharma to join MS Dhoni's CSK in 2025 season! Here's why</a></strong></p>

<p>Last year, Dhoni led CSK to their fifth IPL championship with a knee injury. While he came down the order as a power-hitter and remained handy behind the stumps as well as a leader, there were concerns over his fitness. Many believed he would retire after the IPL 2023 title win, however, he revealed he would try to play another season as a gift to his fans. With him returning this year, IPL 2024 might well be his last season. Thus, CSK would need a successor. All eyes will be on how Chennai perform and who Dhoni would identify as his potential successor.</p>

<p>Viswanathan also opined&nbsp;that the Men in Yellow are hopeful of another strong showing in IPL 2024. He, however,&nbsp;was quick to point out that Dhoni has told the troops to focus on the league stage at present. "We have always focused on qualifying for the knockouts. That's our first aim. After that, it depends on the performance on that day. We are following that even now. Before every season, MS Dhoni tells us 'first let us concentrate on league games'. We will look to qualify for the knockouts. Yes, the pressure is there. But over the years, because of our consistency, most of the players are used to this pressure," he added.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>CSK squad for IPL 2024:</strong>&nbsp;MS Dhoni, Devon Conway, Avanish Rao Aravelly, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shaik Rasheed, Ajinkya Rahane, Sameer Rizvi, Moeen Ali, Shivam Dube, Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Ravindra Jadeja, Mitchell Santner, Ajay Mandal, Nishant Sindhu, Rachin Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell, Shardul Thakur, Deepak Chahar, Tushar Deshpande, Matheesha Pathirana, Simarjeet Singh, Prashant Solanki, Maheesh Theekshana, Mustafizur Rahman, Mukesh Choudhary.</p>


MS Dhoni-led Chennai Super Kings (CSK) are gearing up for the upcoming IPL 2024 edition, which kicks off with the defending champions taking on Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) on March 22 in Chennai.

MS Dhoni-led Chennai Super Kings (CSK) are gearing up for the upcoming IPL 2024 edition, which kicks off with the defending champions taking on Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) on March 22 in Chennai. Ahead of the season-opener, CSK CEO Kasi Viswanathan revealed that there have been 'internal talks' regarding a succession plan if the forthcoming season turns out to be the last for Dhoni. Further, he also revealed owner N Srinivasan's message when it comes to deciding Dhoni's successor. 'Let's not talk about captain and vice-captain appointments' Talking to former CSK batter S Badrinath on his YouTube channel, Viswanathan said, "See, there have been internal talks. But, Mr. Srinivasan has made it very clear. Let's not talk about captain and vice-captain appointments. Let's leave it to the coach and the captain to decide. Let them decide and convey the information to me, and then I will convey it to you all. He has said that 'the captain and the coach will decide and give us a directive, till then let's all keep quiet'." Also read: IPL 2024: Ambati Rayudu wants Rohit Sharma to join MS Dhoni's CSK in 2025 season! Here's why Last year, Dhoni led CSK to their fifth IPL championship with a knee injury. While he came down the order as a power-hitter and remained handy behind the stumps as well as a leader, there were concerns over his fitness. Many believed he would retire after the IPL 2023 title win, however, he revealed he would try to play another season as a gift to his fans. With him returning this year, IPL 2024 might well be his last season. Thus, CSK would need a successor. All eyes will be on how Chennai perform and who Dhoni would identify as his potential successor. Viswanathan also opined that the Men in Yellow are hopeful of another strong showing in IPL 2024. He, however, was quick to point out that Dhoni has told the troops to focus on the league stage at present. "We have always focused on qualifying for the knockouts. That's our first aim. After that, it depends on the performance on that day. We are following that even now. Before every season, MS Dhoni tells us 'first let us concentrate on league games'. We will look to qualify for the knockouts. Yes, the pressure is there. But over the years, because of our consistency, most of the players are used to this pressure," he added. CSK squad for IPL 2024: MS Dhoni, Devon Conway, Avanish Rao Aravelly, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shaik Rasheed, Ajinkya Rahane, Sameer Rizvi, Moeen Ali, Shivam Dube, Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Ravindra Jadeja, Mitchell Santner, Ajay Mandal, Nishant Sindhu, Rachin Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell, Shardul Thakur, Deepak Chahar, Tushar Deshpande, Matheesha Pathirana, Simarjeet Singh, Prashant Solanki, Maheesh Theekshana, Mustafizur Rahman, Mukesh Choudhary.

IPL 2024: CSK CEO shares N Srinivasan's take on who will succeed MS Dhoni as Chennai skipper

<p>Former Chennai Super Kings (CSK) star Ambati Rayudu has wished for Rohit Sharma to join the MS Dhoni-led Yellow Army ahead of the IPL 2025 season. At present, all the ten IPL franchises are gearing up for IPL 2024 which gets underway on March 22 in Chennai. Before the season-opener, Rayudu wished for Rohit to become a part of CSK, MI's arch-rivals, from the 2025 season onwards and win titles with them as well. Rohit was replaced by Hardik Pandya as the MI skipper for IPL 2024, in Dec 2023, and will feature only as a player in the upcoming season.</p>

<p>MI's move to replace Rohit with Hardik raised a lot of eyebrows. It will be interesting to see how he&nbsp;fits under captain Hardik and if the latter can replicate his success in MI,&nbsp;IPL's joint-most successful franchise. After winning four titles with Rohit-led MI, Hardik moved to the Gujarat Titans (GT) and captained them in 2022 and 2023, leading them to the final in successive editions and winning in 2022.</p>

<p>However, it will be interesting to see how Hardik manages a star-studded MI line-up in IPL 2024. Also, all eyes will be on Rohit who will only feature as a batter this time around. Meanwhile, Rayudu -- who has won the IPL both under MI and CSK -- feels Rohit should move to Chennai in the coming years and increase his trophy count. <strong>Here's why:</strong></p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/ipl-2024-delhi-capitals-coach-ricky-ponting-offers-clarity-on-rishabh-pants-role-in-upcoming-season-698857">IPL 2024: Delhi Capitals coach Ricky Ponting offers clarity on Rishabh Pant's role in upcoming season</a></strong></p>

<h2><strong>'Rohit has earned the right to take that call'</strong></h2>

<p>"I want to see him play for CSK in the near future. He has played so long for Mumbai Indians. It would be nice if he can play for CSK and win there as well. That's (captaincy at CSK) upon him. Rohit has earned the right to take that call. It's his call on whether or not he wants to lead or not," Rayudu told News24 while also mentioning that MI must have informed Rohit of the captaincy change.</p>

<p>At present, there are no talks of Rohit willing to make a move from MI. The IPL 2024 season will give a clear picture of how he still fits into MI's scheme of things, without the leadership tag. He has won the IPL six times, five as MI captain. Hence, he remains a big name in their setup. Nonetheless, if things aren't quite right for him in the dugout, he might make a move elsewhere (which will certainly grab a lot of eyeballs). If he replaces Dhoni as CSK captain going ahead, it will surely be a big development in the IPL and add a new chapter in the MI-CSK rivalry.&nbsp;</p>


Former Chennai Super Kings (CSK) star Ambati Rayudu has wished for Rohit Sharma to join the MS Dhoni-led Yellow Army ahead of the IPL 2025 season. At present, all the ten IPL franchises are gearing up for IPL 2024 which gets underway on March 22 in Chennai.

Former Chennai Super Kings (CSK) star Ambati Rayudu has wished for Rohit Sharma to join the MS Dhoni-led Yellow Army ahead of the IPL 2025 season. At present, all the ten IPL franchises are gearing up for IPL 2024 which gets underway on March 22 in Chennai. Before the season-opener, Rayudu wished for Rohit to become a part of CSK, MI's arch-rivals, from the 2025 season onwards and win titles with them as well. Rohit was replaced by Hardik Pandya as the MI skipper for IPL 2024, in Dec 2023, and will feature only as a player in the upcoming season. MI's move to replace Rohit with Hardik raised a lot of eyebrows. It will be interesting to see how he fits under captain Hardik and if the latter can replicate his success in MI, IPL's joint-most successful franchise. After winning four titles with Rohit-led MI, Hardik moved to the Gujarat Titans (GT) and captained them in 2022 and 2023, leading them to the final in successive editions and winning in 2022. However, it will be interesting to see how Hardik manages a star-studded MI line-up in IPL 2024. Also, all eyes will be on Rohit who will only feature as a batter this time around. Meanwhile, Rayudu -- who has won the IPL both under MI and CSK -- feels Rohit should move to Chennai in the coming years and increase his trophy count. Here's why: Also read: IPL 2024: Delhi Capitals coach Ricky Ponting offers clarity on Rishabh Pant's role in upcoming season 'Rohit has earned the right to take that call' "I want to see him play for CSK in the near future. He has played so long for Mumbai Indians. It would be nice if he can play for CSK and win there as well. That's (captaincy at CSK) upon him. Rohit has earned the right to take that call. It's his call on whether or not he wants to lead or not," Rayudu told News24 while also mentioning that MI must have informed Rohit of the captaincy change. At present, there are no talks of Rohit willing to make a move from MI. The IPL 2024 season will give a clear picture of how he still fits into MI's scheme of things, without the leadership tag. He has won the IPL six times, five as MI captain. Hence, he remains a big name in their setup. Nonetheless, if things aren't quite right for him in the dugout, he might make a move elsewhere (which will certainly grab a lot of eyeballs). If he replaces Dhoni as CSK captain going ahead, it will surely be a big development in the IPL and add a new chapter in the MI-CSK rivalry.

IPL 2024: Ambati Rayudu wants Rohit Sharma to join MS Dhoni's CSK in 2025 season! Here's why

<p>Despite being an integral part of the Chennai Super Kings franchise in the Indian Premier League (IPL), all-rounder Moeen Ali is unaware of captain MS Dhoni's plans for him in the upcoming season.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The 17th edition of IPL gets underway on March 22 with Chennai Super Kings squaring up against Royal Challengers Bangalore at the MA Chidambaram Stadium. Moeen will be playing his fourth season with the successful franchise.&nbsp;</p>

<p>“I have played three seasons but I don’t know what he is going to come up with. His strategic persona is really good. It is exciting as a player – what role he has for you,” Moeen told <em>Espncricinfo</em>.</p>

<p>With CSK opener Devon Conway ruled out of the first half of the tournament due to a thumb injury sustained during the T20I series against Australia, Moeen might be shifted to top of the order once again.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>Moeen might be filling big shoes as the New Zealander was CSK's most prolific run-getter last season - 672 runs in 16 matches with six fifties at a strike rate of 139.70.&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/ipl-2024-csk-opener-devon-conway-out-for-eight-weeks-with-thumb-injury-696440"><strong>Also read |&nbsp;IPL 2024: CSK opener Devon Conway out for eight weeks with thumb injury</strong></a></p>

<h2><strong>Dhoni is a special player: Moeen&nbsp;</strong></h2>

<p>Regarding speculations that it might be Dhoni's last season in the IPL wearing the canary yellow of CSK, Moeen said the team was focused on defending its title.&nbsp;</p>

<p>“Dhoni is a special player and a special captain. When you are playing for CSK with Dhoni as the captain, whether the team is weak or strong on paper, you always have a chance of winning,” said Moeen.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2024-rcb-captain-faf-du-plessis-recalls-how-he-connected-instantly-with-virat-kohli-698060"><strong>Also read |&nbsp;IPL 2024: RCB captain Faf du Plessis recalls how he connected instantly with Virat Kohli</strong></a></p>

<p>CSK won the title with Dhoni leading the charge and utilising Moeen up the order to unleash his free-flowing batting prowess. Despite nursing a painful knee injury throughout the season, Dhoni persevered&nbsp;and helped CSK win a fifth title, equaling Mumbai Indians' tally.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>The CSK captain joined the pre-season training camp last week in order to get himself match-ready for the opener. His involvement is expected to be a big crowd-puller yet again.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Chennai Super Kings squad for IPL 2024</strong></p>

<p>MS Dhoni (c), Moeen Ali, Deepak Chahar, Devon Conway, Tushar Deshpande, Shivam Dube, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Ravindra Jadeja, Ajay Mandal, Mukesh Choudhary, Matheesha Pathirana, Ajinkya Rahane, Shaik Rasheed, Mitchell Santner, Simarjeet Singh, Nishant Sindhu, Prashant Solanki, Maheesh Theekshana, Rachin Ravindra, Shardul Thakur, Daryl Mitchell, Sameer Rizvi, Mustafizur Rahman, Avanish Rao Aravelly.</p>


Despite being an integral part of the Chennai Super Kings franchise in the Indian Premier League (IPL), all-rounder Moeen Ali is unaware of captain MS Dhoni's plans for him in the upcoming season.

Despite being an integral part of the Chennai Super Kings franchise in the Indian Premier League (IPL), all-rounder Moeen Ali is unaware of captain MS Dhoni's plans for him in the upcoming season. The 17th edition of IPL gets underway on March 22 with Chennai Super Kings squaring up against Royal Challengers Bangalore at the MA Chidambaram Stadium. Moeen will be playing his fourth season with the successful franchise. “I have played three seasons but I don’t know what he is going to come up with. His strategic persona is really good. It is exciting as a player – what role he has for you,” Moeen told Espncricinfo. With CSK opener Devon Conway ruled out of the first half of the tournament due to a thumb injury sustained during the T20I series against Australia, Moeen might be shifted to top of the order once again. Moeen might be filling big shoes as the New Zealander was CSK's most prolific run-getter last season - 672 runs in 16 matches with six fifties at a strike rate of 139.70. Also read | IPL 2024: CSK opener Devon Conway out for eight weeks with thumb injury Dhoni is a special player: Moeen Regarding speculations that it might be Dhoni's last season in the IPL wearing the canary yellow of CSK, Moeen said the team was focused on defending its title. “Dhoni is a special player and a special captain. When you are playing for CSK with Dhoni as the captain, whether the team is weak or strong on paper, you always have a chance of winning,” said Moeen. Also read | IPL 2024: RCB captain Faf du Plessis recalls how he connected instantly with Virat Kohli CSK won the title with Dhoni leading the charge and utilising Moeen up the order to unleash his free-flowing batting prowess. Despite nursing a painful knee injury throughout the season, Dhoni persevered and helped CSK win a fifth title, equaling Mumbai Indians' tally. The CSK captain joined the pre-season training camp last week in order to get himself match-ready for the opener. His involvement is expected to be a big crowd-puller yet again. Chennai Super Kings squad for IPL 2024 MS Dhoni (c), Moeen Ali, Deepak Chahar, Devon Conway, Tushar Deshpande, Shivam Dube, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Ravindra Jadeja, Ajay Mandal, Mukesh Choudhary, Matheesha Pathirana, Ajinkya Rahane, Shaik Rasheed, Mitchell Santner, Simarjeet Singh, Nishant Sindhu, Prashant Solanki, Maheesh Theekshana, Rachin Ravindra, Shardul Thakur, Daryl Mitchell, Sameer Rizvi, Mustafizur Rahman, Avanish Rao Aravelly.

'Don't know what he'll come up with': CSK all-rounder Moeen Ali on MS Dhoni's plans

<p>Former Indian batter Robin Uthappa has advised Rishabh Pant to not rush his comeback ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 edition, which gets underway on March 22. Pant has worked hard on regaining full fitness after a horrific car crash in Dec 2022. Since then, he has been away from action and will mark his return to competitive cricket during the forthcoming season. DC franchise has already announced that the swashbuckling left-hander will return as the captain but won't keep wickets during the first half&nbsp;at least.</p>

<h2><strong>'Pant shouldn’t rush the process'</strong></h2>

<p>Ahead of Pant's much-awaited return, Uthappa told in an interview with InsideSport, "Well as far as Rishabh Pant is concerned, it all depends on his fitness and how he recovers from what has been a tough year and a half for him. I think, we should send all those energies to him that he recovers and comes back to his best. It’s good to see He’s back in the nets, he’s hitting the ball well, doing centre wicketkeeping practice. He shouldn’t rush the process."</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/former-ipl-coach-tom-moody-reveals-mis-skipper-hardik-pandyas-biggest-challenge-in-upcoming-season-697304">Former IPL coach Tom Moody reveals MI skipper Hardik Pandya's biggest challenge in upcoming season</a></strong></p>

<p>Uthappa, who won the IPL with the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) franchise in 2021, further&nbsp;warned Pant against hurrying into action. He stated that there is a high chance the keeper-batter might aggravate his injury&nbsp;in the near future&nbsp;if he tries to overdo and force his way into cricket.</p>

<p>"It’s hard to stay out of the game for so long, especially when you are super competitive and you want to perform and win matches. But sometimes when you hurry the process you end up doing more damage and go back to the wait line which is more frustrating. I really hope he takes his time to comeback and when he does he comes out good," Uthappa added.</p>

<p>Pant-led DC open their campaign versus Shikhar Dhawan's Punjab Kings (PBKS) on March 23 at the&nbsp;Punjab Cricket Association IS Bindra Stadium, Mohali. All eyes are on the 26-year-old's comeback and how he performs and remains injury free.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>DC squad for IPL 2024:</strong></p>

<p>Rishabh Pant (c), Pravin Dubey, David Warner, Vicky Ostwal, Prithvi Shaw, Anrich Nortje, Abishek Porel, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Lungi Ngidi, Lalit Yadav, Khaleel Ahmed, Mitchell Marsh, Ishant Sharma, Yash Dhull, Mukesh Kumar, Harry Brook, Tristan Stubbs, Ricky Bhui, Kumar Kushagra, Rasikh Dar, Jhye Richardson, Sumit Kumar, Shai Hope, Swastik Chhikara.</p>


Former Indian batter Robin Uthappa has advised Rishabh Pant to not rush his comeback ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 edition, which gets underway on March 22.

Former Indian batter Robin Uthappa has advised Rishabh Pant to not rush his comeback ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 edition, which gets underway on March 22. Pant has worked hard on regaining full fitness after a horrific car crash in Dec 2022. Since then, he has been away from action and will mark his return to competitive cricket during the forthcoming season. DC franchise has already announced that the swashbuckling left-hander will return as the captain but won't keep wickets during the first half at least. 'Pant shouldn’t rush the process' Ahead of Pant's much-awaited return, Uthappa told in an interview with InsideSport, "Well as far as Rishabh Pant is concerned, it all depends on his fitness and how he recovers from what has been a tough year and a half for him. I think, we should send all those energies to him that he recovers and comes back to his best. It’s good to see He’s back in the nets, he’s hitting the ball well, doing centre wicketkeeping practice. He shouldn’t rush the process." Also read: Former IPL coach Tom Moody reveals MI skipper Hardik Pandya's biggest challenge in upcoming season Uthappa, who won the IPL with the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) franchise in 2021, further warned Pant against hurrying into action. He stated that there is a high chance the keeper-batter might aggravate his injury in the near future if he tries to overdo and force his way into cricket. "It’s hard to stay out of the game for so long, especially when you are super competitive and you want to perform and win matches. But sometimes when you hurry the process you end up doing more damage and go back to the wait line which is more frustrating. I really hope he takes his time to comeback and when he does he comes out good," Uthappa added. Pant-led DC open their campaign versus Shikhar Dhawan's Punjab Kings (PBKS) on March 23 at the Punjab Cricket Association IS Bindra Stadium, Mohali. All eyes are on the 26-year-old's comeback and how he performs and remains injury free. DC squad for IPL 2024: Rishabh Pant (c), Pravin Dubey, David Warner, Vicky Ostwal, Prithvi Shaw, Anrich Nortje, Abishek Porel, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Lungi Ngidi, Lalit Yadav, Khaleel Ahmed, Mitchell Marsh, Ishant Sharma, Yash Dhull, Mukesh Kumar, Harry Brook, Tristan Stubbs, Ricky Bhui, Kumar Kushagra, Rasikh Dar, Jhye Richardson, Sumit Kumar, Shai Hope, Swastik Chhikara.

IPL 2024: Rishabh Pant should not rush his comeback - Former CSK star's advice to DC captain

<p>Former Indian stumper Parthiv Patel feels only MS Dhoni can put an end to the speculations regarding his future in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Ahead of IPL 2024, which kicks off on March 22 in Chennai, there is massive hype regarding Dhoni's stint in competitive cricket. Moreover, the upcoming season can be the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) captain's last appearance in the cash-rich league, hence, the craze regarding his comeback has escalated further.</p>

<p>With the hype building&nbsp;around Dhoni, Parthiv feels that the chatter around the 42-year-old's potential IPL retirement is only set to grow further in the coming days.</p>

<p>"Coming off to play once every 10 months, every time we end up talking about these two months being his (Dhoni) last of cricket...This is a question that only he can answer," Parthiv told JioCinema.</p>

<p>Parthiv also stressed that the upcoming IPL season will once again test Dhoni the batter, who plays cricket only twice a year now. Last year, he ended with only 104 runs at an average of 26 but played an impactful role down the order, striking at 182.46.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In this regard, Parthiv added, "Over the course of these sixteen IPL seasons, we have seen big names who have not played a lot of domestic or any other format of cricket, end up struggling in the tournament...We have seen it happen with players like Mathew Hayden and Adam Gilchrist."</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2024-rishabh-pant-will-lead-delhi-capitals-to-play-as-pure-batter-during-1st-half-confirms-co-owner-692955">IPL 2024: Rishabh Pant will lead Delhi Capitals, to play as pure batter during 1st half, confirms co-owner</a></strong></p>

<p>Dhoni is expected to once again bat lower down the order and make his presence felt with his leadership and wicketkeeping skills. Under him, CSK won their fifth title -- joint-most along with Mumbai Indians (MI) in the history of the mega event -- in IPL 2023. After the win, he promised his ardent fans that he would try and play another season and now the fans are desperate to see him take the field in IPL 2024.</p>

<p>CSK play Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the IPL 2024 opener&nbsp;in Chennai on Mar 22. The forthcoming tournament's partial schedule was released on Thursday (Feb 22).</p>


Former Indian stumper Parthiv Patel feels only MS Dhoni can put an end to the speculations regarding his future in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Ahead of IPL 2024, which kicks off on March 22 in Chennai, there is massive hype regarding Dhoni's stint in competitive cricket.

Former Indian stumper Parthiv Patel feels only MS Dhoni can put an end to the speculations regarding his future in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Ahead of IPL 2024, which kicks off on March 22 in Chennai, there is massive hype regarding Dhoni's stint in competitive cricket. Moreover, the upcoming season can be the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) captain's last appearance in the cash-rich league, hence, the craze regarding his comeback has escalated further. With the hype building around Dhoni, Parthiv feels that the chatter around the 42-year-old's potential IPL retirement is only set to grow further in the coming days. "Coming off to play once every 10 months, every time we end up talking about these two months being his (Dhoni) last of cricket...This is a question that only he can answer," Parthiv told JioCinema. Parthiv also stressed that the upcoming IPL season will once again test Dhoni the batter, who plays cricket only twice a year now. Last year, he ended with only 104 runs at an average of 26 but played an impactful role down the order, striking at 182.46. In this regard, Parthiv added, "Over the course of these sixteen IPL seasons, we have seen big names who have not played a lot of domestic or any other format of cricket, end up struggling in the tournament...We have seen it happen with players like Mathew Hayden and Adam Gilchrist." Also read: IPL 2024: Rishabh Pant will lead Delhi Capitals, to play as pure batter during 1st half, confirms co-owner Dhoni is expected to once again bat lower down the order and make his presence felt with his leadership and wicketkeeping skills. Under him, CSK won their fifth title -- joint-most along with Mumbai Indians (MI) in the history of the mega event -- in IPL 2023. After the win, he promised his ardent fans that he would try and play another season and now the fans are desperate to see him take the field in IPL 2024. CSK play Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the IPL 2024 opener in Chennai on Mar 22. The forthcoming tournament's partial schedule was released on Thursday (Feb 22).

IPL 2024: Only MS Dhoni can stop the talks around ‘his last IPL’, says former Indian stumper Parthiv Patel

<p>Sri Lankan spinner Maheesh Theekshana made his IPL debut during the 2022 edition,with MS Dhoni's&nbsp;Chennai Super Kings (CSK). He was also&nbsp;part of Dhoni-led Chennai's fifth title triumph during the IPL 2023 edition. In the&nbsp;two seasons&nbsp;he has played so far, Theekshana has 23 wickets and is looking forward to play for the Yellow Army once again in IPL 2024, under Dhoni's leadership.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Theekshana, who has been a&nbsp;part of CSK for two years lauded Dhoni's leadership in a recent interview, saying he backs his bowlers even if they are leaking runs and his confidence works wonders for the CSK bowling unit.</p>

<p>Theekshana told cricket.com, "Playing under MS Dhoni is a privilege - he has faith in every bowler - we are also getting confidence, even if we are going for runs - he gives us the ball later in the innings and backs us - that is a huge confidence."</p>

<p><strong>Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/blow-for-india-and-world-cricket-nasser-hussain-on-virat-kohli-likely-to-miss-entire-test-series-vs-england-688168">Blow for India and world cricket: Nasser Hussain on Virat Kohli likely to miss entire Test series vs England</a></strong></p>

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<p>Dhoni is gearing up for IPL 2024, which is believed to be his last season. However, CSK pacer Deepak Chahar stated that he backs his captain to continue going for&nbsp;another 2-3 years. "I think he has a lot to give to cricket. He can play for another 2-3 seasons. I have seen him bat in the nets. Obviously, he had an injury that anyone can have, people at 24 have that same injury that he has,"&nbsp;Chahar told PTI news agency.</p>

<p>"He has recovered well. For me personally, he should play for another 2-3 years. But it's his call. He told everyone he was going to play his last game in Chennai. I think he will only decide. For us, it will be very difficult to play for CSK without him. Everyone has (always) seen CSK with Mahi bhai,"&nbsp;the pacer&nbsp;concluded.</p>

<p>Dhoni has 5,082 runs in 250 IPL games. He has won the trophy five times, all as CSK captain.</p>

<p><strong>CSK squad for IPL 2024</strong></p>

<p>MS Dhoni (c), Devon Conway, Avanish Rao Aravelly, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shaik Rasheed, Ajinkya Rahane, Sameer Rizvi, Moeen Ali, Shivam Dube, Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Ravindra Jadeja, Mitchell Santner, Ajay Mandal, Nishant Sindhu, Rachin Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell, Shardul Thakur,&nbsp;Deepak Chahar, Tushar Deshpande, Matheesha Pathirana, Simarjeet Singh, Prashant Solanki, Maheesh Theekshana, Mustafizur Rahman, Mukesh Choudhary.</p>


Sri Lankan spinner Maheesh Theekshana made his IPL debut during the 2022 edition,with MS Dhoni's Chennai Super Kings (CSK). He was also part of Dhoni-led Chennai's fifth title triumph during the IPL 2023 edition.

Sri Lankan spinner Maheesh Theekshana made his IPL debut during the 2022 edition,with MS Dhoni's Chennai Super Kings (CSK). He was also part of Dhoni-led Chennai's fifth title triumph during the IPL 2023 edition. In the two seasons he has played so far, Theekshana has 23 wickets and is looking forward to play for the Yellow Army once again in IPL 2024, under Dhoni's leadership. Theekshana, who has been a part of CSK for two years lauded Dhoni's leadership in a recent interview, saying he backs his bowlers even if they are leaking runs and his confidence works wonders for the CSK bowling unit. Theekshana told cricket.com, "Playing under MS Dhoni is a privilege - he has faith in every bowler - we are also getting confidence, even if we are going for runs - he gives us the ball later in the innings and backs us - that is a huge confidence." Also read: Blow for India and world cricket: Nasser Hussain on Virat Kohli likely to miss entire Test series vs England × Dhoni is gearing up for IPL 2024, which is believed to be his last season. However, CSK pacer Deepak Chahar stated that he backs his captain to continue going for another 2-3 years. "I think he has a lot to give to cricket. He can play for another 2-3 seasons. I have seen him bat in the nets. Obviously, he had an injury that anyone can have, people at 24 have that same injury that he has," Chahar told PTI news agency. "He has recovered well. For me personally, he should play for another 2-3 years. But it's his call. He told everyone he was going to play his last game in Chennai. I think he will only decide. For us, it will be very difficult to play for CSK without him. Everyone has (always) seen CSK with Mahi bhai," the pacer concluded. Dhoni has 5,082 runs in 250 IPL games. He has won the trophy five times, all as CSK captain. CSK squad for IPL 2024 MS Dhoni (c), Devon Conway, Avanish Rao Aravelly, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shaik Rasheed, Ajinkya Rahane, Sameer Rizvi, Moeen Ali, Shivam Dube, Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Ravindra Jadeja, Mitchell Santner, Ajay Mandal, Nishant Sindhu, Rachin Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell, Shardul Thakur, Deepak Chahar, Tushar Deshpande, Matheesha Pathirana, Simarjeet Singh, Prashant Solanki, Maheesh Theekshana, Mustafizur Rahman, Mukesh Choudhary.

Playing under MS Dhoni is a privilege: Maheesh Theekshana lauds CSK captain ahead of IPL 2024