“It was MS [Dhoni’s decision] with a lot of consideration and a vision for the future after a good season last year,” Fleming said in his press conference on Thursday. “The timing was good. Behind the scenes, Ruturaj and others have been, shall we say, in a process of preparing for the captaincy, waiting for days like this and for opportunities to arise, but MS is the best judge and felt the time was right.”
Fleming said the captaincy change in 2022 was something of a wake-up call and that the franchise is now better prepared to work with a new captain and build for the future.
“Well, the biggest thing a couple of years ago was that we probably weren’t prepared for MS to be sidelined,” Fleming said. “And what that probably did was shake us as a leadership group or coaches into considering the possibility of him leaving. And up until that point, it was almost unthinkable, but it planted the seed. So we’ve worked pretty hard. “On making sure that any mistakes that have been made during that time will not be made again. And that leadership is not a secret.”
“Yes, I hope so. It’s about getting that balance right without interfering, but also providing that leadership that can’t be ignored,” Fleming said. “It’s been too long and his presence is too big for you to not just turn him off, but use him. And finding that balance and being able to use Jadejas and Dhonis and help Ruturaj as he develops is very important. In the middle , we will do some trial and error to a certain extent.
“Ruturaj has a lot of confidence in himself. Again, he is not the captain or the most demonstrative person, but he has a very good relationship with his teammates and is very respected. So I think what the older players understand me is the “I wish to help.”
Gaikwad hopes to leverage the experience of Dhoni and Co.”[It] it feels good. It is a privilege, but more than that, it is a big responsibility,” Gaikwad told CSK’s social media channels. “I am very excited about the kind of group we have. Everyone has enough experience. So I don’t have much to do. I have mahi [Dhoni] bhai in the team, Jaddu [Jadeja] bhai and ajju [Rahane] bhai, who have been great captains in guiding me.”
Fleming revealed that Ruturaj Gaikwad has started preparing as CSK captain behind the scenes.•BCCI
“So, we’ve been working very hard to make sure the plans are in place, [so] that all players are more self-sufficient,” Fleming said. “And we are. It’s not [the case that] MS just has a wonderful sense of the game, but one of the things we are proud of is the development of young players.
“Last year [Tushar] Deshpande came out ahead and then owned that space and has done well in domestic cricket. This shows that giving ownership and trust to players really works. It’s not just the captain’s job to pull the strings.
“So, we are analyzing that. And as I say, now we are more prepared because they pushed us to look at life after [Dhoni]. And in some ways, we’ve been a little slow to do that as a management group.”
Deivarayan Muthu is Deputy Editor of ESPNcricinfo