RCB vs CSK: "What's Going On?" Michael Hussey reveals how MS Dhoni informed Chennai Super Kings about leaving captaincy

MS Dhoni loves to keep his cards close to his chest and rarely lets anyone know about his plans and decisions until the very last moment. He did something similar just before the start of the ongoing Indian Premier League 2024 (IPL 2024).

He stunned the cricketing world by stepping down as the captain of the Chennai Super Kings on the eve of the competition. Not only the fans but his own teammates as well as coaches were also taken aback 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 the captain.

The former Australia batsman revealed that even the CSK management was not aware of MS Dhoni's decision and came to know about it only before the pre-tournament captain's photoshoot. He stated that the decision came as a shock before expressing his delight over Ruturaj Gaikwad's performance as a captain so far.

Also Read: T20 World Cup 2024: Rohit Sharma told to follow MS Dhoni's footsteps to help India win the ICC event

"MS sort of announced that he was not going to be attending the pre-tournament captains meeting. And we're like, 'Oh, no. What's going on?'," Hussey was quoted as saying by India Today.

"He said Ruturaj was going to be captain from then on. So, it was a little bit of a shock to start with but it has been managed really well.

"I know Stephen Fleming (head coach) had been working closely with Ruturaj in the lead-up to the tournament. In fact, he has been grooming him for a couple of years now. We have sort of known for a little while that he was the right man to take over the job when MS decided to step aside," he added.

Michael Hussey on MS Dhoni's role in 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 Australia great stated that Dhoni wanted to be a part of the team in order to ensure a seamless transition.

"MS wanted to still be here while the new captain took over, to try to help him along the way and sort of mentor him a little bit. So that's worked really well as well. And obviously, Stephen Fleming is a great role model for him [Gaikwad] as well. So, it's been quite seamless actually," said Hussey.

The transition has been quite impressive so far as CSK are on the verge of qualifying for the playoffs under new captain Ruturaj Gaikwad. The right-handed batsman has led CSK from the very front this season, scoring an impressive 583 runs in 13 matches with the help of one century and four half-centuries.