IPL 2022: MS Dhoni Steps Down As Chennai Super Kings Captain, Picks Ravindra Jadeja As New Leader

New Delhi: Former India captain MS Dhoni has handed over the captaincy of Chennai Super Kings (CSK) to Ravindra Jadeja for IPL 2022, according to an official statement made by CSK on Twitter.

“MS Dhoni has decided to hand over the leadership of Chennai Super Kings and picked Ravindra Jadeja to lead the team. Jadeja, who has been an integral part of Chennai Super Kings since 2012, will only be the third player to lead CSK. Dhoni will continue to represent Chennai Super Kings this season and beyond,” CSK said in an oficial update on Twitter.

📑 Official Statement 📑#WhistlePodu #Yellove 💛🦁 @msdhoni @imjadeja

— Chennai Super Kings (@ChennaiIPL) March 24, 2022

Dhoni, who had retired from international cricket after the 2019 World Cup,  continued to play for his IPL franchise CSK and even guided them to their fourth title last year after a terrible IPL 2020 season. While many wrote off Dhoni’s CSK after a poor season in 2020, the former India captain was able to get the best out of his players in the very next season (IPL 2021) and surprised everyone by winning the championship.

Jadeja, who has been with the franchise since the 2012 season, was possibly the best person to take over the captaincy and it is learnt that the 39-year-old picked the left-arm bowling all-rounder as his successor following his growing stature as a cricketer and his allround ability to change the course of the match.

This might also be Dhoni’s last season and it won’t come as a surprise if he plays the role of a mentor in the upcoming season and going forward for CSK. With Dhoni stepping down as captain, it is highly unlikely that he will play the entire season and might opt to give up his spot for a younger player although no official statement has come from the franchise.