“After Ruturaj Gaikwad was named as CSK captain, Chris Gayle said, ‘MS Dhoni might not play every game in the IPL 2024.”

Chris Gayle, a legendary West Indies hitter, has suggested that MS Dhoni might not play in every game of the current Indian Premier League (IPL) due to Ruturaj Gaikwad taking over as captain of the Chennai Super Kings (CSK). On the eve of the opening IPL 2024 match between Chennai’s CSK and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at MA Chidambaram Stadium on March 22, Dhoni gave up the captaincy.

Notably, Dhoni assisted CSK in defeating the Gujarat Titans, who were led at the time by Hardik Pandya, in the IPL 2023 final to win a record-tying fifth championship. It was anticipated that the 2023 season would be his final one, but he stated he would like to play one more season, provided his health permits.

Also read: On his first day as CSK captain, Ruturaj Gaikwad said

“MS Dhoni may not play in every game. For him, there can be a brief pause in between. why the choice was made. Before the IPL 2024 opening, Gayle stated on Jio Cinema, “But MSD will go well; don’t worry about that.”

CSK defeated RCB in the opening IPL 2024 match.

On Friday, March 22, the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai hosted the intense match between the Chennai Super Kings and the Royal Challengers Bengaluru. The reigning champions, CSK, triumphed after defeating their rivals by six wickets. At Chepauk Stadium, Chennai’s victory was their eighth consecutive over RCB. Additionally, the Chennai-based team has an edge over RCB as well, winning 20 of the 31 matches in which they have faced each other, compared to the three-time finalists’ 10 victories and one game that ended in a draw.

RCB chose to bat first after winning the toss in the match. Their choice proved costly as CSK held them to 173 runs, thanks in large part to Mustafizur Rahman, who took four wickets in his first match. Anuj Rawat, a wicketkeeper who also bats, was the standout performer for the Royal Challengers Bangalore. He amassed a quick 48 runs off 25 balls before MS Dhoni removed him in the final delivery of the opening session. But throughout the chase, CSK also got off to a terrible start. Nevertheless, CSK crossed the boundary with eight balls remaining thanks to Impact Players Shivam Dube (34*) and Ravindra Jadeja (25*).