Defending champions Chennai Super Kings are gearing up for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 season opener against Kolkata Knight Riders on Saturday in Mumbai. This is the 13th edition when the ‘Yellow Army’ will enter the tournament under the leadership of legendary wicketkeeper-batter MS Dhoni.
It has been almost 2 years since he retired from international cricket and the kind of unpredictable person he is, it’s impossible to anticipate that when would he draw curtains to his IPL career.
Meanwhile, former India off-spinner Nikhil Chopra has suggested a name who could lead CSK after Dhoni’s careers is over. He said all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja could be the man.
Jadeja has been a crucial cog in the CSK camp for years. His versatility across all departments – batting, bowling and fielding – has helped the team win numerous games and that’s one the reason why he was retained by the franchise before the mega auctions.
“Jadeja can definitely be an option as CSK’s next skipper. The way he is performing and the way his form has been across formats and the role that he has been given in T20s to bowl four overs and bat down the order, his career has progressed really well,” Chopra said YouTube podcast ‘Khelneeti’.
“That is perhaps the reason why they paid a huge sum for him and if Dhoni doesn’t play next year, Jadeja could be the next captain,” he added.
Chopra further spoke about the possible reasons behind Dhoni’s decision to retire from international cricket in 2020.
“Retirement is always a tough decision because one has to understand how much he can contribute for his country. After the rise of Rishabh Pant, Dhoni would have realised that there are players who can contribute better than him and so he took a decision to play just the IPL and give youngsters a chance to play for India,” Chopra concluded.
