Ruturaj Gaikwad faces hostility from AB de Villiers; legends asks MS Dhoni to reclaim CSK captaincy

Former South African captain AB de Villiers stated that MS Dhoni should continue as Chennai Super Kings (CSK) captain if he's in the team. AB de Villiers had previously said that MS Dhoni stepping down as captain of the Chennai Super Kings was a "huge mistake" before the start of the IPL 2024.

MS Dhoni stepped down from the captaincy and passed it to Ruturaj Gaikwad before the IPL 2024 opener. However, the Super Kings failed to advance to the playoffs under Gaikwad's leadership. The Chennai-based team secured seven wins and suffered as many losses in the prestigious T20 tournament.

The Ruturaj Gaikwad-led team entered the season as defending champions. CSK showcased dominance at home by winning five out of seven matches. However, they struggled to replicate their success in away games. They were eliminated after losing to the Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the final match.

He's Got A Very Bright Future - AB de Villiers

AB de Villiers emphasized that having MS Dhoni as an opposing captain is the most intimidating. De Villiers clarified that his earlier remark about it being a "mistake" was aimed more at the intimidation factor Dhoni brought to the game than being critical of Ruturaj Gaikwad's captaincy skills.

"I will only give you an honest answer if you're going to report it in the right way, yes, so I wouldn't say I called it a mistake. What I meant by that was with MS Dhoni around, playing against MS for so many years, that is the most intimidating sight to have him as an opposing captain," said de Villiers.

"They took away quite a bit of intimidation factor from CSK with not having him as captain. It's got nothing to do with Gaikwad’s captaincy. I actually think he's got a very bright future and he captained extremely well," he added.

In IPL 2022, Ravindra Jadeja was appointed as captain of CSK, succeeding MS Dhoni. However, the all-rounder stepped down from the captaincy after a series of defeats. Under Jadeja's leadership, CSK managed only two wins out of eight games in the IPL 2022. Dhoni resumed leadership mid-tournament.

It's Going To Be A Waste - AB de Villiers

The former RCB batter recalled CSK's decision to appoint Ravindra Jadeja as captain in 2022. De Villiers highlighted Dhoni's presence as captain for the team's success. He noted that CSK performed well in the IPL 2024, but they didn't qualify for the knockout stage.

"Just having MS around, I always felt like it's going to be a waste not having him as captain. They tried it before. It didn't work (when Jadeja was replaced mid-season). And unfortunately, this year, yes, you've got to look at the results. The majority of the games they played well, but at the end of the day they didn't qualify for the knockouts. It's definitely not because of Gaikwad's captaincy. I do, however, ever feel that when MS is around, he should be captain," De Villiers added.

MS Dhoni hasn't confirmed his participation in the Indian Premier League 2025 season. With the mega auction scheduled later this year, the World Cup-winning captain would make the final call on his future in the coming months.

Also read: Watch: Dinesh Karthik torn apart after RCB gets knocked out of IPL 2024, video confirms retirement