March 22, 2024
The spotlight will be on veteran MS Dhoni who stepped down as captain on eve of the IPL 2024 opener against RCB at the Chepauk Stadium on Friday. Dhoni led CSK to five IPL titles but decided to hand over the baton to Ruturaj Gaikwad for the upcoming season, dropping a major hint about IPL retirement.
The decision to relinquish captaincy has given rise to a world of speculations about his role in IPL 2024. Dhoni is aware of his shortcomings as a batsman these days thus batted for only a handful of deliveries in the last season where he tried to hit as many sixes as possible. Dhoni most likely will follow the same template in IPL 2024.
Dhoni is well known for his leadership skills and batting exploits, but he also is one of the best wicketkeepers in the world. Dhoni tops the charts of most dismissals in IPL, having accounted for 180 wickets, including 138 catches and 42 stumpings.
Meanwhile, Dhoni is on the verge of creating a massive T20 wicketkeeping records. If Dhoni can pull off four dismissals in IPL 2024, he will become the first wicketkeeper in the world to complete 300 dismissals in T20 cricket. Dhoni already tops the charts of most dismissals in T20 cricket, with 209 catches and 87 stumpings to his name. He is followed by fellow Indian Dinesh Karthik, who has 276 dismissals to his name. Pakistan's Kamran Akmal is third with 274 dismissals.
MS Dhoni's decision to step down as CSK captain has almost confirmed Dhoni's retirement from IPL after the current season. At 42, Dhoni is not getting any younger and he has achieved everything in life. After leading CSK to an IPL win in the last season, Dhoni said that it was the best time for him to retire but he will play one more season to thank the fans for their love and support.
