One of the most successful teams in the history of the Indian Premier League, Chennai Super Kings, announced the set of players, they want to stick. Earlier, the franchise itself announced that it would be MS Dhoni who would captain the team in the next edition of the tournament. However, it was also learnt that it will be the last season for the MSD in the IPL and he wants to retire from the IPL in-front of the home crowd in Chennai. This presents a problem for management in determining who will be the MSD’s successor in the coming seasons.
It is because it’s been only MSD throughout all the IPL seasons for them. They tried to give the captaincy to Ravindra Jadeja in the last season, but it didn’t go well, and they gave it back to Dhoni midway through. MSD has led CSK in 196 games and has 118 wins, 77 defeats, and one game without a result to his name. Thus, here we will talk about three candidates who can be an ideal choice for CSK as a captain.
3. Steve Smith
There is no doubt about the skills and credibility of former Australian captain Steve Smith. He is one of the best batters in modern-day cricket across all three formats. Smith is a veteran when it comes to the Indian Premier League and has played over 100 games. He has led Australia in 35 Tests, 51 ODIs, and 8 T20Is with 19, 25, and 4 wins, respectively.
Speaking of his captaincy record in the IPL, Smith has a really impressive record. He has led the Rajasthan Royals in a couple of seasons and also the Rising Pune Supergiants to the IPL 2017 final, but lost to MI. Smith has led in 42 IPL games, and has won 25 matches, along with 16 defats and one no result. Smith’s winning percentage as an IPL captain is 59.52, almost identical to MS Dhoni.
However, apart from being a captain, Smith is also a good reader of the game and a reliable middle-order batter. Thus, he can be an ideal candidate for the CSK captaincy. That is why there is no doubt that CSK would love to acquire him for his team.
2. Kane Williamson
No one can write off a captain leading his team to multiple successes in big ICC events across all three formats. The New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson could be a really good candidate for CSK as Dhoni’s successor. Sunrisers Hyderabad has already released Williamson, so he will be available for grabs. Thus, if the CSK could manage to have him, he could be the leader that they want in the future.
Williamson has led SRH for a few seasons. In fact, he has led the Orange Army in 46 games and has 22 wins and 24 losses to his name. He led them to the 2018 IPL final as well. Although, his current form hasn’t been good, you can’t write off a player of his caliber.
And with a team like CSK that is already filled with hard hitters, they need an anchor in their batting lineup. And Williamson is a prime example of someone who can both anchor and accelerate when needed. Thus, there will be no doubt that CSK might go for him in the auction.
1. Ravindra Jadeja
There were a few speculations after the conclusion of the IPL 2022 that star all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja and CSK might part ways in the 16th edition. But the franchise ended all those speculations after retaining him ahead of the 2023 auction. That means Jadeja will be there with CSK, and despite all those rumors, he will be back in the yellow jersey.
So, now that all of the speculation is over, the franchise may reconsider its choice for MS Dhoni’s successor. During the previous season, he captained CSK in eight games.But he had a horrible captaincy experience. Under his leadership, CSK suffered six losses and won two games. But that doesn’t mean that he can’t be a captain.
Things can turn, and being with the team for so long, he can definitely lead the next generation of CSK after MSD. And being an all-rounder, he can also control the game with his batting and bowling as well. So there will not be any surprise if CSK chooses him once again as their captain.