IPL 2024: CSK fans disheartened after Ruturaj Gaikwad replaces MS Dhoni as captain, call it 'end of an era'

In a surprise move, Ruturaj Gaikwad on Thursday replaced the legendary M S Dhoni as the Chennai Super Kings captain as defending champions dropped a bombshell a day before the IPL opener.

In what has sent shockwaves among fans of Chennai Super Kings, Ruturaj Gaikwad on Thursday replaced legendary MS Dhoni as captain of the franchise for the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. An official statement released on the franchise's social media handles read, "MS Dhoni has handed over Chennai Super Kings’ captaincy to Ruturaj Gaikwad ahead of the start of TATA IPL 2024."

"Ruturaj has been an integral part of Chennai Super Kings since 2019 and has played 52 matches in IPL during this period. The team looks forward to the upcoming season," the statement added.

The news first came to light when a photoshoot of the participating team's captains was posted by IPL's official handle which featured CSK's Ruturaj Gaikwad along with the trophy instead of MS Dhoni. "It's Show Time! The #TATAIPL is here and WE are ready to ROCK & ROLL. Presenting the 9 captains with PBKS being represented by vice-captain Jitesh Sharma," wrote IPL on X along with a photograph of the captains posing with the coveted trophy.

Having featured in six ODIs and 19 T20 matches for India, Ruturaj Gaikwad marked his debut for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in 2020. Since then, he has become a mainstay in the team, playing in 52 games for the five-time IPL champions.

Gaikwad, known for his stylish opening batting, had a standout performance last season. He amassed 590 runs in 16 matches, displaying an impressive strike rate of 147.50.

Dhoni is expected to retire at the end of the season and therefore the franchise felt the need for a smooth transition in Dhoni's presence as a player.

Following this news several fans took to X to express their shock and called Dhoni handing over his captaincy to Gaikwad as the 'end of an era'. Here's a look at how fans reacted to this shocking news: