Gaikwad: Last year itself, Dhoni had hinted about captaincy

MS Dhoni had given feelers to Ruturaj Gaikwad about a possible captaincy switch during IPL 2023 itself. Those feelers came alive on the eve of Chennai Super Kings' IPL 2024 opener against Royal Challengers Bengaluru at MA Chidambaram Stadium on Friday, when Dhoni officially relinquished his captaincy to Gaikwad.

"Last year itself, Mahi bhai had hinted about captaincy at some point of time," Gaikwad told IPLT20.com. "He just hinted that, 'be ready, it shouldn't be a surprise to you'. When we came into the camp, he involved me in some of the match simulation."

Prior to the season, Dhoni stoked fan-sentiment on social media by hinting about a "new role". At the time, it was believed to be promotional campaign towards a broadcast sponsor. But on Thursday evening, it became evident that may have not been the case entirely.

"I remember him posting about a new role on social media and everybody was pointing towards me and asking me, 'are you the next captain?'. I was like, 'maybe it meant something else for social media'. But back of the mind, it was there. He came and said, 'I've decided this and this', but definitely now that I'm here, I'm looking forward to this."

Gaikwad was first signed at base price [INR 20 lakh] prior to the 2019 season, where he didn't get a game. In IPL 2020, Gaikwad had a tough initiation as he began with three ducks in a season where he also contracted covid. He returned towards the back end of the season and became the first uncapped Indian to hit three back-to-back half-centuries.

Since then, he's been an integral part of the group. In 2021, he formed a superb opening combination with Faf du Plessis as Super Kings won their fourth title. He ended the tournament with the Orange Cap for most runs [635 in 16 games], with du Plessis second on the list. After that tournament, Gaikwad had glowingly talked about the backing and encouragement he'd received from du Plessis.

"I just met Faf at the [captains'] meeting and said, 'who would've thought a few years down the line, you are playing and leading RCB and me sharing the stage with you at the toss'," Gaikwad said. "A lot to look forward to. It [opening game] is one of the most exciting first-day games to look forward to."

Dhoni had done something similar in 2022, when he handed the captaincy to Ravindra Jadeja prior to the start of the season. The move backfired, and after Super Kings lost six of their first eight games, Dhoni took over the reins again. Super Kings finished ninth that season.

The question of succession planning at Super Kings has been a hot topic of debate ever since, which even head coach Stephen Fleming touched upon at his pre-match press conference. This time around, he felt, the change will be a lot "smoother."

"It feels great for two reasons," Gaikwad said of his new role. "To be part of this wonderful franchise right from when my IPL journey started and then to be trusted by MS Dhoni for a leadership role speaks a lot. The challenge lies ahead and I'm looking forward to it.

"I've got to know how the franchise works throughout the year, got to know their mantra, the reasons behind their success, what kind of things the franchise goes through, what Mahi bhai or the support staff do. I wouldn't like to change a single bit of it.

"He's a great backbone to have on the field. I also have Ajju [Ajinkya Rahane] bhai and Jaddu bhai as well, a lot of options to look around. I don't think I'll need to change anything. Just give the kind of freedom the players want and everything will be fine."