IPL 2024: Ruturaj Gaikwad reveals when MS Dhoni informed him about captaincy change

MS Dhoni handed over CSK captaincy to Ruturaj Gaikwad just a day prior to IPL 2024.

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) have embarked on another captaincy experiment ahead of the IPL 2024 tournament. On the eve of the opening match of the 17th edition of the IPL, CSK announced that MS Dhoni has decided to hand over the captaincy to young Ruturaj Gaikwad.

CSK will take on Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the IPL 2024 opening match on March 22nd which will be played in Chennai’s MA Chidambaram Stadium.

Gaikwad was first signed for a base price of INR 20 lakh in IPL 2019, however, he was not given a game. Gaikwad had a difficult IPL 2020 debut as he started with three ducks during a season in which he also caught COVID-19. Upon his return towards the conclusion of the season, he made history by being the first Indian player without a cap to score three consecutive half-centuries in the league’s history.

“Last year itself..”- Ruturaj Gaikwad on when MS Dhoni told him about CSK captaincy change

Dhoni had given feelers to Gaikwad about a possible captaincy switch during IPL 2023 itself. This was revealed by Gaikwad himself in a chat with the IPL media team.

“Last year itself, Mahi bhai had hinted about captaincy at some point of time. He just hinted that, ‘be ready, it shouldn’t be a surprise to you’. When we came into the camp, he involved me in some of the match simulations,” Gaikwad told IPLT20.com.

Dhoni incited fan fervor on social media before the start of the season by making vague references to a “new role.” It was thought at the time to be a marketing initiative for a broadcast sponsor. However, it became apparent on Thursday night that this might not have been the whole story.

“I remember him posting about a new role on social media and everybody was pointing towards me and asking me, ‘are you the next captain?’. I was like, ‘maybe it meant something else for social media’. But back of the mind, it was there. He came and said, ‘I’ve decided this and this’, but definitely now that I’m here, I’m looking forward to this,” he added.

Watch here:

.@ChennaiIPL fans, meet your new Captain! 😎The newly appointed #CSK skipper, Ruturaj Gaikwad, shares what this new opportunity means to him 💛 – By @RajalArora#TATAIPL | #CSKvRCB pic.twitter.com/PS1qfGH2n9

— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) March 22, 2024

Ruturaj Gaikwad has been a mainstay of CSK batting, winning the Orange Cap in IPL 2021 with 635 runs. He then scored 368 runs in IPL 2022 and 590 runs in 16 games in IPL 2023.

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