The five-time Indian Premier League (IPL) title-winning team, Chennai Super Kings (CSK), is currently in pursuit of a new captain. Despite being 42 years old, MS Dhoni will lead Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 season, possibly for the final time. However, when it comes to 'Thala' Dhoni, one should never say never.
A couple of seasons ago, CSK's star all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja was appointed as captain, taking over from MS Dhoni. However, Jadeja couldn't live up to the expectations, prompting the franchise to make a mid-season u-turn, reinstating Dhoni as the captain once again.
It seems like the franchise is gearing up for their future in IPL "without MS Dhoni". CSK CEO Kasi Viswanathan openly acknowledged that there have been 'internal talks' regarding this matter.
"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'," CSK CEO Viswanathan told S Badrinath in the latter's YouTube show.
CSK CEO Kasi Viswanathan said that Chennai Super Kings' first aim is to qualify for IPL 2024 playoffs.
"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.