'People Said I Am Making Decisions...': MS Dhoni Breaks Silence, Says Ruturaj Gaikwad Taking '99 Per Cent' Calls For CSK
MS Dhoni stepped away from CSK captaincy last season with Ruturaj Gaikwad succeeding him into the role.
MS Dhoni has cleared the air over who is calling the shots at Chennai Super Kings ever since he stepped down as the captain of the franchise and Ruturaj Gaikwad took over the reins last season. Dhoni says being a wicketkeeper, he might be the focal point for his captain sometimes, but Gaikwad is the one taking ’99 per cent’ of the calls.
During an interview with JioHotstar, the five-time IPL winning captain said he might be giving his inputs to Gaikwad from time to time but that doesn’t mean they must be implemented.
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“Before the start of the tournament (IPL 2024), I told him, ‘If I am giving you advice, it doesn’t mean you have to follow it. First and foremost, I will try to stay away.’," Dhoni said.
“During the (IPL 2024) season, a lot of people said maybe I am doing all the background (decisions), but all the decisions were his. Only thing I said was ‘have a very good idea about angles when it comes to the field’. You tell me you want a deep point and according to the batsman, wicket and the bowler, I will set where it needs to be. So that’s why you see a lot of hand gestures and all," he added.
Last season, CSK missed out on playoffs by a whisker after finishing behind fourth-placed Royal Challengers Bengaluru due to an inferior net run-rate.
Dhoni though is all praise for how Gaikwad has fared as a leader so far.
“Being a wicketkeeper, especially if the captain is fielding on the outside, they need a focal point. So that’s why people thought that I am still doing it and he’s just there. But the fact is he was doing 99 percent of the things. The most important calls – bowling changes, field placements — were all his. I was just helping him out. He did a brilliant job of handling the players," Dhoni said.
When asked why CSK zeroed in on Gaikwad for the captaincy, Dhoni explained that teams more often than not rely on batters for the long-term role and more so because bowlers have the tendency to get injured.
“You look at the long-term picture. More often than not, batsman who are part of you, do well for you – they are the ones who you can bank for longer period. With fast bowlers and bowlers in general, the tendency to get injured is also there. Ruturaj has been part of us for quite some time. He has done well for us. His temperament is very good, he’s very calm, very composed," Dhoni said.
“Him and Flem (CSK head coach Stephen Fleming) they get along very well. So those were the reasons. At the end of the day, only he can justify. We can only give him a chance to prove himself as a captain or see where he stands. Not everybody is comfortable leading. Ruturaj, we tried and were quite sure he will be good for us," he added.
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