NEW DELHI: Former West Indies opener Chris Gayle shared his insights into the strategy behind Chennai Super Kings' (CSK) decision to appoint Ruturaj Gaikwad as captain for the IPL 2024 season, hinting at potential breaks for the legendary MS Dhoni during the tournament.
Gayle emphasized the likelihood of Dhoni not featuring in every match, suggesting a possible hiatus midway through the season.
"He (MS Dhoni) might not play all games. There may be a little break in between for him. That's why the decision. But MSD will go well, don't worry about that," Gayle remarked during an interview on Jio Cinema.
Gayle's remarks were made prior to the CSK vs RCB IPL 2024 opener in Chennai, shedding light on the strategic move to transfer captaincy to Gaikwad to manage Dhoni's workload effectively.
1/10:Chennai Super Kings down Royal Challengers Bengaluru in IPL 2024 opener
IANS
2/10:Mustafizur's brilliance
Bangladesh's Mustafizur Rahman returned figures of 4-29 to set up a six-wicket win for defending champions Chennai Super Kings in the IPL opener against Royal Challengers Bengaluru on Friday.PTI
3/10:Shivam Dube & Ravindra Jadeja's stand
Hosts CSK restricted Bengaluru to 173/6 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium. Shivam Dube, who hit 34, and Ravindra Jadeja, who made 25, put on an unbeaten stand of 66 to steer the team home.PTI
4/10:IPL opening ceremony
The 17th edition of the lucrative league began with a glitzy ceremony, with performances by Bollywood stars including India's Oscar-winning composer AR Rahman.AFP
5/10:Dhoni's captaincy handover
<p>Old warhorse MS Dhoni had shocked his fans on the eve of the opener when he handed over the captaincy to Ruturaj Gaikwad, who said he got to know of the decision last week.</p>PTI
6/10:Man of the Match: Mustafizur
Mustafizur had Du Plessis caught out for 35 and RCB slipped from 41-0 to 42-3 in the space of seven balls when Glenn Maxwell was out for a first-ball duck off Deepak Chahar. Mustafizur was named man of the match.AP
7/10:Virat Kohli's return
Virat Kohli returned to competitive cricket after two months following a paternity break. He made 21 off 20 balls including a six off spinner Maheesh Theekshana before his departure in another inspired spell by Mustafizur.AP
8/10:Chennai's batting display
CSK's batsmen including IPL debutant Ravindra, who hit a 15-ball 37, got starts but lost regular wickets. Dube, who came in as impact substitute in place of Mustafizur, and Jadeja ensured the team sailed through.ANI
9/10:Green's bowling impact
Green struck with two key wickets including Rahane (27) and Daryl Mitchell (22) with his fast-medium bowling but Jadeja kept the chase going.PTI
10/10:Rawat & Karthik's partnership
For RCB, Anuj Rawat, a wicketkeeper-batsman who hit 48, and Dinesh Karthik, 38 not out, steadied the ship and then took the attack to the opposition in their partnership of 95 in 50 balls.PTIDespite speculations about retirement and battling through a knee injury last year, Dhoni remained committed to playing for the fans and returned for the current season, albeit relinquishing the captaincy.
The match against RCB showcased Dhoni's enduring fitness and agility, as he showcased swift wicket-keeping skills and executed a crucial run-out in the closing moments of RCB's innings.
While Dhoni's demotion in the batting order to No.7 or 8 suggests a potential reduction in his playing time, his presence remains significant for CSK's campaign.
In the CSK vs RCB encounter, Mustafizur Rahman's stellar bowling performance, coupled with Ravindra Jadeja and Shivam Dube's adept finishing, secured a comfortable six-wicket victory for CSK.
