Is there a new captain bounce in cricket, a la the new manager bounce in football? People around Chennai Super Kings, fans in particular, have almost a psychopathic obsession about MS Dhoni the captain. And there’s a reason.
Over the years, Dhoni has built this franchise in his own image, leading the team to five IPL titles. He is the reason why CSK have the highest brand value among all the franchises – $122 million, as per Brand Finance’s IPL 2024 assessment report. On the cricket side, a departure from the norm hasn’t worked for the ‘yellow army’.
In 2022, Dhoni had handed over the reins to Ravindra Jadeja but was forced to retake the responsibility after a string of poor performances. Next year, CSK went on to win their fifth title under Dhoni’s captaincy. In 2024, the great man made Ruturaj Gaikwad the chosen one but the team failed to qualify for the playoffs. This term, he was asked to assume the leadership role again by head coach Stephen Fleming after an elbow injury rendered Gaikwad hors de combat.
Make no mistake, the change is going to make a difference. “If MS Dhoni has to play for CSK, he must be captain of CSK. Because MS Dhoni the captain is a different beast,” Sourav Ganguly said at a promotional event in Kolkata, just hours before an official announcement in Chennai confirmed Dhoni’s return as CSK skipper. The former India captain nailed it.
Yes, Dhoni cannot continue forever and his departure would be seismic. But as long as he is there in the team, he has to lead.
Then again, will a change in captaincy be enough for a side that has lost four matches on the spin? CSK are playing a dated brand of T20 cricket. Their top-order is struggling to force the pace in Powerplays, while their middle-order batsmen have a strike rate of 126 in this IPL. But Dhoni in charge on the field can be morale-boosting and tactically uplifting, and it increases the degree of difficulty for Kolkata Knight Riders, as the two teams face-off at Chepauk on Friday.
Somehow, KKR have been showing signs of getting ruffled by defeats this term. Ajinkya Rahane’s public comment on Eden Gardens pitch after losing to Royal Challengers Bengaluru wasn’t required. Calling Eden curator a publicity-monger after the defeat against Sunrisers Hyderabad felt like shooting from the hip. KKR didn’t lose the game against SRH because of the pitch. The game sat in the home team’s dug-out until the 13th over during a steep chase. Losing a couple of wickets to full tosses – the pitch-factor was redundant there – and a wrong batting order contributed to their defeat.
“They (KKR) were cruising while chasing 239 and they should have won that game with an over to spare,” said Ganguly. “But they didn’t win it. They are a good side. They got some fabulous players. Rahane himself is in very good form. My only worry is I see Rinku Singh too much lower down the order.”
When a team posts 234/7 in reply to 238/3, losing by just four runs, the glass should be looked at as half-full rather than half-empty. Despite an inconsistent start to the season, KKR remain one of the top title favourites. But maybe, they need to stop thinking about things that are not in their control.
🚨 #SouravGanguly 🗣️ “If MS Dhoni has to play for CSK, he has to be the captain of CSK. Because MS Dhoni as a captain is a different beast”#MSDhoni to take over as the @ChennaiIPL captain!!@ThumsUpOfficial @msdhoni #Thala #ChennaiSuperKings #Breaking pic.twitter.com/8JVpQeBNru
— RevSportz Global (@RevSportzGlobal) April 10, 2025