MS Dhoni loves to keep his cards close to his chest and rarely lets anyone know his plans and decisions until the last moment. He did something similar just before the start of the ongoing Indian Premier League 2024 (IPL 2024).
He shocked the cricket world by stepping down as captain of the Chennai Super Kings on the eve of the competition. Not only the fans, but also his own teammates and coaches were baffled by the decision. In a recent interview, CSK batting coach Michael Hussey revealed how the veteran wicketkeeper-batsman announced his decision to step down as captain.
The former Australian batsman revealed that even the CSK management was not aware of MS Dhoni’s decision and he found out only before the captain’s pre-tournament photoshoot. He said the decision came as a shock before expressing his delight at Ruturaj Gaikwad’s performance as captain so far.
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“MS more or less announced that he was not going to attend the pre-tournament captains’ meeting. And we were like, ‘Oh no. What’s going on?'” Hussey was quoted as saying by India Today.
“He said Ruturaj would be the captain from then on. So at first it was a bit of a shock, but it has been handled very well.
“I know that Stephen Fleming (head coach) had been working closely with Ruturaj in the run-up to the tournament. In fact, he has been grooming him for a couple of years. “We have known for some time that he was the right man to take charge. of the position when MS decided to leave the position,” he added.
Michael Hussey on MS Dhoni’s role in a seamless transition:
Michael Hussey further revealed the reason behind MS Dhoni’s decision to step down as captain while he was still active as a player. The Australian great stated that Dhoni wanted to be part of the team to ensure a seamless transition.
“MS wanted to stay here while the new captain took over, to try to help him along the way and mentor him a little bit. So that worked out really well too. And obviously, Stephen Fleming is a great role model for him.” [Gaikwad] also. So it’s actually been pretty smooth,” Hussey said.
The transition has been quite impressive so far as CSK is on the verge of qualifying for the playoffs under new captain Ruturaj Gaikwad. The right-handed batsman has led CSK from the front this season, scoring an impressive 583 runs in 13 matches with the help of a century and four and a half centuries.