The IPL is set to undertake major changes as sometime India captain MS Dhoni declares his retirement at the end of the 2023 season. Dhoni is yet to officially apprise Chennai Super Kings (CSK) but it is understood that he will play his last match in the IPL in front of a home horde at Chepauk Stadium. CSK management wants to get an official announcement from Dhoni before the start of the IPL. This year, the IPL returned to the traditional home-and-away format after a three-year absence.
IPL 2023:
MS Dhoni Retirement – The stage is set. Tara Dhoni will play his farewell match on 14 May at Chepauk Stadium in Chennai. The IPL 2023 schedule was announced on Friday, setting the stage for Dhoni’s final race. If CSK fails to qualify for the playoffs, he will play the final match against the Kolkata Knight Riders. CSK kicks off their campaign against defending champions Gujarat Titans.
A CSK official announced: “We assure this will terminate his last season as he wants to say goodbye to his dearest stadium. Either way, we need to have clarity before the start of the IPL. There has been a lot of speculation about Dhoni’s future lately, and it intensified when he handed over the CSK captaincy to Ravindra Jadeja in 2022, but Jadeja’s performances weren’t up to par, so he’s going to bring it back. It was only With seasoned leaders Ben Stokes and Ajinkya Lahane mixed in, that Dhoni can finally put an end to his playing career.
The official announced Ms not forced them instead the authority has the right to take the best decision regarding MS career. As far as management is concerned, MS fully supports us in his continuation beyond this season.“
This creates a succession problem for CSK. The team has three opinions,those are: Ben Stokes, Ajinkya Rahane and young Ruthraj Gaikwad. Stokes is the favorite, but his conditional NOC could pose a challenge. Due to his national team commitments, it is unlikely that Stokes will be able to participate in the entire duration of the IPL each season. CSK may therefore look to options in India where Stokes and Dhoni can prepare for the future. Already leading Maharashtra in domestic cricket, Gaiquad is a strong contender for the future.
With Stokes, CSK faces two problems. One is that he is a foreign player and two is that he is an all-rounder. Stokes could be granted a conditional NOC for not bowling in all matches. This means CSK will have to play him as an overseas hitter in some matches. His past injury history may force CSK to consider another player. Rahane is an alternator option, but he doesn’t have a pledge spot playing XI at CSK and isn’t as young as Gaikwad.
A CSK official said: “Of course we are very happy to welcome Ben Stokes. Not only is he a winner of the match, but he is also a great leader. As for who he will name as his successor. is the MS call foreign players are leading. In the IPL there are always combination issues all rounders can be difficult to handle. If Ben doesn’t get the NOC next year it will be a problem. Therefore, young Ruthuraj cannot be ruled out.”
