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IPL 2017: This Australian will replace MS Dhoni as captain in RPS

  • Dhoni’s form was also one of the reasons why RPS failed in IPL 2016.
  • He scored only 284 runs in 12 matches with just one half-century next to his name.
IPL 2017 This Australian will replace Dhoni as captain in RPS

MS Dhoni has been removed as the captain of the Rising Pune Supergiants (RPS) for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2017 edition. Australian skipper Steve Smith has been handed the captaincy duties for the upcoming season of the IPL.  

 

RPS had a poor run in their debut season in the IPL 2016. Under the leadership of the former Indian captain, MS Dhoni, RPS could only manage to bag five wins out of 14 matches and they finished in the second last position in the IPL 9 points table.

 

Dhoni’s form was also one of the reasons why RPS failed in IPL 2016. He scored only 284 runs in 12 matches with just one half-century next to his name. On the contrary, during his days at the now-suspended Chennai Super Kings, he used to score a decent amount of runs almost every season.

 

According to a report in India Today, Dhoni has been told about the franchises’ decision as well. We are all aware of Dhoni’s prowess and there’s no doubt about his captaincy duties. However, this could well be a masterstroke from the Pune franchise, who would want to do better in the forthcoming season of the IPL.  

 

The current Indian captain Virat Kohli had said ahead of the England series that Dhoni can play more freely when he has no burden on his shoulders. That could also be one of the reasons why Smith has been handed with the crucial duty.

 

However, Smith is also an extremely talented captain and he has proven his worth with the Australian cricket team. It will be interesting to see if things augur well for the RPS in IPL 10. Dhoni is yet to make a comment on this development.

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