Chennai Super Kings (CSK) made a significant decision ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) season opener by appointing Ruturaj Gaikwad as the new captain in place of legendary cricketer Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
In an official statement released on their website, CSK announced that MS Dhoni has handed over the captaincy reins to Ruturaj Gaikwad for the upcoming TATA IPL 2024 season. Gaikwad, who has been an integral part of CSK since 2019, is set to lead the team into the new season.
Ruturaj Gaikwad, with a commendable track record in the IPL, made his debut for CSK in 2020 and has played 52 matches for the franchise. In the 2023 season, Gaikwad scored 590 runs in 16 games at a striking rate of 147.50. Additionally, he has represented India in six ODIs and 19 T20s.
The defending champions of the 2023 IPL will kick off their campaign under the leadership of Ruturaj Gaikwad against the Royal Challengers Bangalore, led by Faf du Plessis, at the MA Chidambaram Stadium.
Notably, under the captaincy of MS Dhoni, CSK clinched the IPL trophy five times, adding to his illustrious career achievements as one of India’s most successful captains. Dhoni’s leadership also saw India winning multiple ICC tournaments, including the ICC T20 World Cup 2007, ICC Cricket World Cup 2011, and ICC Champions Trophy 2013.
Here’s a look at the CSK squad for IPL 2024:
MS Dhoni, Moeen Ali, Deepak Chahar, Tushar Deshpande, Shivam Dube, Ruturaj Gaikwad (C), Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Ravindra Jadeja, Ajay Mandal, Mukesh Choudhary, 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
