'Legacy won't move on until MS Dhoni...' - Matthew Hayden reveals CSK's succession plan

Former Australian opener Matthew Hayden discussed the future leadership of the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) after MS Dhoni’s eventual departure. Matthew Hayden emphasized that the Chennai Super Kings might have a succession plan in place within their camp.

CSK attempted a transition in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 when MS Dhoni handed over the captaincy to Ravindra Jadeja. However, this move didn’t produce the desired results, as CSK won two out of their eight matches before Dhoni returned as captain.

The Jharkhand-born cricketer continued as skipper in the IPL 2023. The wicketkeeper batter led the team to their fifth title by defeating the Gujarat Titans (GT) in the final clash. Dhoni equaled Rohit Sharma’s record for the most titles won by a captain in the history of the IPL.

The CSK skipper also impressed with the bat in the previous season of the IPL, despite batting lower down in the order. The right-handed batter scored 104 runs in eight innings at an average of 26 and a remarkable strike rate of 182.46, with his best score being 32 runs.

Legacy Will Not Move On Until MS Dhoni Moves On – Matthew Hayden

Matthew Hayden emphasized that until MS Dhoni steps down, the transition of leadership within the CSK camp won’t occur. He suggested there might be a succession plan in place and urged patience to see how things unfold.

“The legacy will not move on until MS Dhoni moves on, and then we’ll see a shakedown of who our next leader is. I am certain of one thing: inside that CSK camp, there has been a succession plan. There could well be others that are specially recruited as well for leadership roles, but now and down the track, let’s not jump at shadows. Let’s see where MS Dhoni goes to. You look at his numbers at number eight, and he still has an enormous strike rate. What is the value in terms of runs when required? MS Dhoni is still there,” Matthew Hayden said.

Probably still early, but who after Dhoni? 🤔 @HaydosTweets weighs in 👇 (📹: Star Sports India) pic.twitter.com/0bhf48SYgZ

— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) March 16, 2024

Young opener Ruturaj Gaikwad and all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja are frontrunners to succeed MS Dhoni once he retires from the league. The Chennai team management may groom the next successor in the upcoming season if Dhoni decides to retire after this season.

Dhoni has amassed 5,082 runs in 250 matches at an impressive average of 38.79 and a strike rate of 135.92. He has smashed 24 half-centuries, with his highest score being 84 runs. He has led the Chennai-based franchise to victory in 2010, 2011, 2018, 2021, and 2023.

CSK will commence their title defense with a highly anticipated clash against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in Chennai on March 22. Subsequently, the MS Dhoni-led team is slated to participate in three additional matches during the early stages of the season.

Chennai Super Kings Squad: MS Dhoni (c), Moeen Ali, Deepak Chahar, Tushar Deshpande, Shivam Dube, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Ravindra Jadeja, Ajay Mandal, Mukesh Choudhary, Matheesha Pathirana, Ajinkya Rahane, Shaik Rasheed, Mitchell Santner, Simarjeet Singh, Nishant Sindhu, Prashant Solanki, Maheesh Theekshana, Rachin Ravindra, Shardul Thakur, Daryl Mitchell, Sameer Rizvi, Mustafizur Rahman, Avanish Rao Aravelly

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