IPL 2024: Ruturaj Gaikwad replaces MS Dhoni as Chennai Super Kings' captain day before opener

In a stunning turn of events, Ruturaj Gaikwad was announced as the new captain of the Chennai Super Kings on Thursday, replacing the legendary MS Dhoni. The defending champions dropped this bombshell just a day before the IPL 2024 opener. The Indian Premier League made the revelation in a post on their official platform, X, ahead of CSK's highly anticipated clash against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Chennai on Friday.

"Presenting @ChennaiIPL's Captain - @Ruutu1331," the IPL posted on X shortly after releasing a picture of all captains posing with the IPL trophy.

Since his debut for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in 2020, Ruturaj Gaikwad, who boasts six ODIs and 19 T20s for India, has been a consistent presence in the team's lineup. Gaikwad has featured in a total of 52 games for the five-time IPL champions.

The stylish opener delivered a standout performance last year, amassing 590 runs in just 16 games, showcasing an impressive strike rate of 147.50.

"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," CSK said in a statement on their website.

"The team looks forward to the upcoming season," the statement added.

With speculation swirling around MS Dhoni's impending retirement at the end of the season, the franchise deemed it necessary to initiate a seamless transition in light of Dhoni's continued presence as a player.

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• Royal Challengers Bengaluru
• Ruturaj Gaikwad
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