MS Dhoni not to play full IPL 2024 season after captaincy resignation? Stephen Fleming reveals

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) head coach Stephen Fleming provided a huge update about the future of MS Dhoni in the Indian Premier (IPL) 2024. He said that he is expecting keeper-batter to play a full season like he always does with his desire to play for the team.

In what was a massive surprise, MS Dhoni handed over the captaincy of the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) to young batter Ruturaj Gaikwad. The keeper-batter was expected to lead the team in the upcoming edition of the league but on the eve of the tournament, he surprised many.

MS Dhoni has been captaining the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the league since 2008. He has taken the team to glory 5 times. The keeper-batter made the team most successful in the league and apart from that, he took them to playoffs barring two seasons.

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With MS Dhoni stepping down as a captain of the Chennai Super Kings (CSK), ahead of the IPL 2024, there have been a a lot of speculations about him playing in the league for the entire season. Many raised concerns about that as well.

But head coach Stephen Fleming came up with a positive update for the fans. He stated that MS Dhoni’s body is a lot better than what it was last year. Speaking said at a pre-match press conference as quoted by RevSportz:

“I am expecting MS Dhoni to play full season & do well – The body is a lot better than last year, and the desire to play & do well is like always”.

With MS Dhoni passing over the captaincy baton, it might well be a hint that the IPL 2024 will be his last season in the league. The keeper-batter was all set to retire last year but he made a statement, saying that he will push himself for one more season.

With MS Dhoni playing as a player, it will be a great opportunity for Ruturaj Gaikwad to flourish. He was potentially seen as a candidate to captain the team after Dhoni called time on his career. He would be hoping to carry the legacy of the keeper-batter forward.

Chennai Super Kings issue press release on MS Dhoni’s decision to hand over captaincy to Ruturaj Gaikwad

As Ruturaj Gaikwad was spotted at the captains’ meet, it was speculated that he would be leading after that. Immediately, after that Chennai Super Kings (CSK) released the official statement about MS Dhoni’s decision. The franchise stated:

“MS Dhoni has handed over Chennai Super Kings’ captaincy to Ruturaj Gaikwad ahead of the start of TATA IPL 2024. Ruturaj has been an integral part of Chennai Super Kings since 2019 and has played 52 matches in IPL during this period. The team looks forward to the upcoming season.”

MS Dhoni will go down as the most successful skipper in the league with 133 wins under his belt whereas second best is Rohit Sharma with 87 wins. The keeper-batter won his last game as a captain of the team, which was the final of the IPL 2023 at the Narendra Modi International Stadium in Ahmedabad.