'Jadeja told me MS Dhoni indicated his intention to retire after IPL 2021': CSK CEO

MS Dhoni's sudden decision to step down as Chennai Super Kings captain just a couple of days before the CSK vs KKR IPL 2022 opening match took everyone by surprise. The former CSK skipper who led the team to title win last season has now handed the reign to Ravindra Jadeja who will be leading an IPL team for the very first time. Both MS Dhoni and Ravindra Jadeja have been playing together with the CSK team for quite some time and it was no surprise to see the transition being done so smoothly. The CSK social media team posted a video on Saturday, where CEO Kasi Vishwanathan speaks about MS Dhoni's decision to leave CSK captaincy.

CSK CEO on how MS Dhoni informed Ravindra Jadeja about his decision to leave CSK captaincy

CSK CEO Kasi Vishwanathan while revealing the details said, " We spoke to Ravindra Jadeja during the practice and yes he said that MS Dhoni had indicated to him after last year's IPL that he needs to take more responsibilities. He had also indicated that at one point of time you may have to take over as the captain and the fact that he will be playing alongside him in the matches it will be helpful for Jaddu also to get the inputs from MS and it should be o great help to him. Jadeja has been a consistent player for CSK for the past 8 years and I think it will be a good change for the team."

Talking about Dhoni's decision to step down as the skipper he said, "When I heard the news I was a little surprised as I didn't expect that to come from MS Dhoni at this point of time. Whatever MS Dhoni does as far as CSK is concerned he will do it in the best interest of the franchisee. He is being one of the most important players, a captain, a wicketkeeper an allrounder for CSK. I think whatever decision he makes will be the right decision for CSK because he has the interest of the team the most in his mind. The decision he has come up with may not be sweet for others but good for the franchise. MS Dhoni will always be there not only for the fans but guiding the team as well".

CSK vs KKR preview

The opening match at Wankhede stadium will see two new captains with Ravindra Jadeja donning the captain's hat for CSK, while Shreyas Iyer will be leading the KKR team on his home ground. The match is expected to be a great contest between bat and ball as the pitch in Mumbai has usually aided the batsmen with pacers also extracting something from the pitch. With the 22-yard strip being made out of red soil the team batting second is likely to have an advantage. Besides the pitch, the dew factor will also be taken into consideration so the toss will be crucial for both teams. Coming to the players' availability, CSK will be missing one of its key pacers, Deepak Chahar for the first few games this season. KKR will also miss the services of its key pacer Pat Cummins as the Australian bowler is currently in Pakistan for a bilateral series. 

Image: BCCI/ IPL