CHENNAI: By the time you read this, the Sun would have risen on Friday morning. On Thursday evening, though, as the shadows began to lengthen inside the MA Chidambaram Stadium, the Sun, at some level, permanently set in this part of the city. MS Dhoni, one of the most successful T20 franchise captains ever (seven Cups), stepped down from the post effective immediately.
It's understood that Chennai Super Kings broke the news to the squad only on the eve of the new season. Dhoni had of course decided to make way for Ravindra Jadeja two years ago but returned to skipper the side halfway through that car crash of a campaign. He stayed on at the helm in 2023, leading the squad to a fifth Indian Premier League (IPL) title in a dramatic final that went to a third day.
While the 42-year-old is fit and fresh after undergoing knee surgery days after the final last year, this change had been in the post for some time. The side splurged on Ben Stokes last year with a view to him taking over the reins in the future. But they have plumped for Ruturaj Gaikwad, a player the franchise has a lot of time for (it's believed that the new captain himself hasn't had time to soak it in).
While the ultimate call was made by MS, Gaikwad had been groomed for the role for at least the last two years. "It was MS," coach Stephen Fleming said in the pre-match press conference. "Behind the scenes, Rutu and the others have been on a, say, captaincy grooming process. MS is the best judge and he felt the time was right."
After that unsuccessful 2022 season, CSK, according to Fleming, worked extensively to ensure they didn't repeat the same mistakes. "The big thing about a couple of years ago was that we probably weren't ready for MS to move aside," the former New Zealand captain admitted. "What that did was probably shake us as a leadership group or as coaches into looking at the possibility when he does go. Till that stage, it was almost unthinkable but it sowed the seed. So, we have worked pretty hard on making sure that any mistakes that were made then aren't made again."
The 50-year-old admitted that the management reacted slowly the last time this happened. "We have been working very hard on making sure that the plans are in place and all players are self-sufficient," the southpaw pointed out. "And we are. One of the things we are proud of is the development of young players... it's not just the captain's job to pull the strings. So, we are looking at that. And as I say, we are more prepared now because they jolted us into looking at life after. And in some ways, we have been a bit slow in doing that as a management group."
Once Dhoni decided it was time to step away as captain — Fleming had no doubt that Dhoni would finish the season as a player before any announcement on his future — Gaikwad was a logical choice. Since joining the franchise at the 2019 auction, the management has invested time, money and shown an unusual amount of patience with him.
They bagged him for Rs 20 lakh ahead of the 2019 IPL. In that 2019 season, though, he didn't feature in a single game. After recovering from a bout of Covid-19, Gaikwad's debut in 2020 came in the middle-order where he was dismissed for a first-baller against Rajasthan Royals. A middling campaign saw him score 204 runs @ 120.7. The then uncapped Indian player could have been released and nobody would have done a double take. But they wanted to persevere, preferring to release a couple of seasoned campaigners instead (Murali Vijay and Kedar Jadhav).
That educated gamble paid off in 2021 when the Maharashtrian topped the IPL run-scoring charts with 635 runs. The decision to retain him for `6 cr ahead of the mega auction was a no-brainer.
Of course, captaining a T20 side is a high-pressure gig. This is where Fleming's role in the captaincy grooming process played a role. "I have enjoyed talking captaincy and leadership not just with Rutu but also the others," he said. "It's part of the two months that we enjoy. We are proud of what he has done."
The 'proud of what he has done' could have been about several things, including skippering a young Indian side to gold at last year's Asian Games. It also speaks of what the BCCI thinks about Gaikwad's leadership skills (he was also the deputy to Jasprit Bumrah in the Ireland series last year).
After 14 seasons and nearly 250 IPL matches, a metaphorical white smoke emerged from the MA Chidambaram Stadium. The conclave has dispersed. The cardinals have elected a new leader. The last time it happened in this franchise, it lasted less than two months. The immediate task for Gaikwad is to ensure he navigates this season without a hiccup.
That will be a good starting block towards filling Dhoni's giant shoes.