Is Jadeja a Worthy Successor?

According to a statement released by the Chennai Super Kings, "MS Dhoni has decided to hand over the leadership of Chennai Super Kings and picked Ravindra Jadeja to lead the team." Dhoni's decision comes from a place of fair judgment considering how the all-rounder joined the yellow brigade in 2012 for approximately INR 9.8 crores, the most expensive player that year.

During the early 2010s, the Chennai Super Kings management had second thoughts about their decision to invest in Ravindra Jadeja. He struggled in his batting and also lagged in the bowling department. His fielding was his sole saving grace. However, his hard work and determination coupled with Dhoni's belief in multidimensional cricketers helped Jadeja redeem himself.

 

In 2021, Chennai Super Kings decided to put the 33-year-old through captaincy training. Initially, Dhoni had thought of retaining his captaincy which means Jadeja was to take over in due course. However, Dhoni changed his mind during the training camp in Surat. Jadeja might have been ready for the job as per Dhoni's observation. He was retained for INR 16 Crore by CSK ahead of the 2022 player auction. "Jadeja, who has been an integral part of Chennai Super Kings since 2012, will only be the third player to lead Chennai Super Kings. Dhoni will continue to represent Chennai Super Kings this season and beyond," the Chennai Super Kings statement continued.

MS Dhoni Retires from CSK Captaincy

Chennai Super Kings started the IPL 2022 squaring off the Kolkata Knight Riders on March 26. Kasi Viswanathan, the CEO of CSK expressed his views on Jadeja's ascension as captain. He quipped, "See Jaddu will do well. He is probably in the best form of his career. He will do well under MS' guidance. Jaddu has been with us for 10 years and he very well knows the team culture." Jadeja is expected to understand the pressure that this puts on him.