The IPL 2024 begins on Saturday with Chennai Super Kings taking on Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Chennai. This match will kick off the new season of the Indian Premier League. MS Dhoni will be seen in action after nine months, and Virat Kohli will also be back. Chennai has now won five titles, and their biggest aim will be to defend the title.
For that, they need to start well here. But it won’t be easy, as every team is looking very good, and it will be hard to win consecutive titles. But MS Dhoni can certainly make it possible. His leadership has been the most influential reason for the success of Chennai Super Kings in the IPL. But what if he is not available?
IPL 2024: Suresh Raina picks the next captain of Chennai after MS Dhoni
Notably, the Chennai captain confirmed that the 2024 edition could be his last season as a player. He might take on other roles on the team after his retirement. The 42-year-old has a big role to play and needs to pick one player who can lead this successful franchise in the coming years. Well, the franchise tried and appointed Ravindra Jadeja as captain in 2022, but it didn’t work out. Former Chennai star Suresh Raina has picked a player within the team whom Dhoni can hand over the captaincy role.
In an interview on Jio Cinema, Raina said, “The biggest question is: who will be the next captain? But who does MSD have his eyes on? I think Ruturaj Gaikwad will be a good option.” Gaikwad joined the team in 2020, and since then, he has become a core player. He has been very consistent at the top, which is one of the reasons for his success. Raina reckons that Dhoni will groom him more in the IPL 2024. He further said that the 2024 season will be important for Chennai in order to find the right successor of MSD.
When will IPL 2024 start?
The 2024 edition will start on March 24, when Chennai will face Royal Challengers Bengaluru at Chepauk Stadium.