IPL 2025 | Gaikwad led CSK, I just helped: MS Dhoni on leadership transition

Chennai Super Kings veteran MS Dhoni rejected the speculation that he is the backroom decisionmaker He said that he is focused on reinventing himself and his strokes to stay relevant in the IPLFollowing CSKs fourwicket win over Mumbai Indians on Sunday MS Dhoni spoke to JioStar about the team dynamics under Gaikwads leadershipbatsmen are now willing to take risks They believe that with proper cricketing shots they can play big strokes and at the same time they are improvising with their shot selectionwhether its a reverse scoop against a fast bowler a sweep or a reverse sweep against a pacerI am no different I have to adapt as well This is what is required of me for where I am batting You have to try and stay relevant MS Dhoni saidAlso ReadInitiators Sampat Jaywant delighted as MCA grants 50 per cent raise in pensionThe way we played T20 in 2008 and the way we played IPL last year its very different Earlier there was a lot of turn in the wickets Wickets were twopaced Now Indias wickets have become much better they are more batterfriendly he explainedMS Dhoni who led CSK to five IPL titles handed over the leadership to Gaikwad at the beginning of the 2024 edition He stated that although he discusses things with Gaikwad he refrains from asking him to follow his advice In the previous edition of the cashrich league the Chennaibased franchise missed the chance to cement their place in the playoffs following a poor net run rateMS Dhoni will most likely bat at the lower order for CSK just as he did in last yearrsquos IPL when he usually came at No7 or 8Ruturaj has been part of us for quite some time His temperament is very good hes very calm very composed So those were the reasons we considered him for leadershipBefore the start of the tournament I also told him If I give you advice it doesnt mean you have to follow it I will try to stay away as much as possible During the season a lot of people speculated that I was making the decisions in the background Dhoni recalledBut the fact is he was making 99 per cent of the decisions The most important calls bowling changes field placements were all his I was just helping him out He did a brilliant job of handling the players he addedOn his bond with Virat Kohli the veteran said their relationship has grown into a strong friendship over the years It was always an honest exchange of ideas whether a certain approach was right or if an adjustment could have been made Initially it was more of a relationship between a captain and a young player but over time as we kept interacting we became friends he saidEven today we share that bond though theres always a line of respect between a senior and a junior Now that neither of us is captain we get more time to talk before matches he addedMumbai Indians who have been losing their opening IPL encounter since 2013 continued to do so this season too as they went down to Chennai Super Kings by four wickets on Sunday Riding on halfcenturies by opener Rachin Ravindra 65 not out off 45 balls and skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad 26ball 53 CSK chased down the 156run target with five balls to spare Gaikwadrsquos innings was laced with six fours and three sixes while Ravindra smashed two fours and four sixes Wrist spinner Vignesh Puthur claimed three wickets on debut for MIRuturaj Gaikwadled Chennai Super Kings will now lock horns with Royal Challengers Bengaluru in their next IPL 2025 clash at MA Chidambaram Stadium on March 28With inputs from PTI