MS Dhoni will lead Chennai Super Kings for the first time in IPL 2022 on Sunday when the defending champions meet Sunrisers Hyderabad in Pune.
Cricket fans were taken by surprise on Saturday by the news of MS Dhoni replacing Ravindra Jadeja as Chennai Super Kings captain midway through the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022. Jadeja decided to pass the baton back to the legendary captain in order to "focus more on his game".
Defending champions Chennai Super Kings, who had named Ravindra Jadeja as their skipper just days ahead of the start of IPL 2022, lost six of their eight games under the the new captain. They are currently ninth in the ten-team IPL table with four points to their credit.
No wonder, the CSK and MS Dhoni fans hailed the news of the captaincy change.
Here is how fans reacted to it:
He's Back @msdhoni @ChennaiIPL pic.twitter.com/Y2I02ebxKt
MS Dhoni was expected to give his inputs to Ravindra Jadeja in IPL 2022, but the new captain seemed to be completely reliant on Dhoni during the games.
From bowling changes to field placements, Jadeja was seen taking the help of MS Dhoni at almost every crucial juncture during games in IPL 2022.
MS Dhoni has a great legacy as CSK captain. Under his reign, the side won four IPL titles in 2010, 2013, 2018 and 2021, alongside two Champions League titles in 2010 and 2014. Dhoni had led CSK since the inception of IPL in 2008 to 2021, barring the two editions in 2016 and 2017 when the team was suspended.
While the team’s performance this season has been a flop, Jadeja too failed to put up match-winning performances. With the bat, Jadeja scored just 112 runs across eight games at an average of 22.40, while on the bowling front, he got only five wickets.
Now, arguably the most consistent side in IPL will once see legendary MS Dhoni at the helm. They take on fourth-placed Sunrisers Hyderabad on Sunday in Pune.