'Gaikwad was making 99 pc decisions,' Dhoni brushes off speculations of taking on-field calls for CSK skipper

Chennai, March 24 (IANS) Former skipper MS Dhoni clarified that all crucial decisions, such as bowling changes and field placements, were solely made by captain Ruturaj Gaikwad, with his role being limited to offering guidance following his decision to pass the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) captaincy to Gaikwad.

Dhoni, who led CSK in 212 matches, winning 128 games while losing 82 matches since the IPL began in 2008 except for the two seasons when the franchise was suspended due to spot-fixing, stepped down as the captain of the CSK on the eve of 2024 IPL and handed over the reins to Gaikwad, who has been part of the franchise since 2019.

"You have to look at the long-term picture. More often than not, the batsmen who are part of your core squad and do well for you are the ones you can rely on for a longer period. With bowlers, especially fast bowlers, there is always a tendency for injuries.

"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. He and Fleming get along very well. So those were the reasons we considered him for leadership. We were quite sure Ruturaj would be good for us," Dhoni said on JioHotstar show "The MS Dhoni Experience".

In Gaikwad’s first season as captain, CSK narrowly missed out on playoffs berth. The Chennai side had seven wins and as many losses in their 14 games campaign, which saw them finish fifth, below Royal Challengers Bengaluru on net run rate.

Dhoni further that he told Gaikwad to continue to lead the team next season and encouraged him to start mentally preparing for the leadership role right away.

"After IPL last year, I almost immediately told him, ‘90% you will lead next season, so start preparing yourself mentally’. Before the start of the tournament, I also told him, ‘If I give you advice, it doesn’t mean you have to follow it. I will try to stay away as much as possible'," he said.

"During the season, a lot of people speculated that I was making the decisions in the background. But the fact is, he was making 99 per cent of the decisions. 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 added.

Ahead of the IPL 2025, the CSK skipper recalled the moment when Dhoni handed over his responsibilities to him.

“Just a week before the tournament last year, MS Dhoni came up to me and said, ‘I’m not leading this year - you are.’ I was taken aback, asking, ‘From the first game? Are you sure?’ With just a few days to prepare, it was overwhelming.

“But he assured me, ‘This is your team. You make your own decisions. I won’t interfere - except when field placements are a 50-50 call. Even then, it’s not a compulsion to follow my advice. That trust meant a lot to me,” Gaikwad had said.

Dhoni is playing in his 18th season in the tournament in 2025 and has so far played 265 games and scored 5,243 runs with 24 half-centuries to his name.

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