There is always a sense of buzz and boundless excitement when the Indian Premier League returns each year to fill cricket loving fans with its bonanza.
Over the years, it has become a yardstick for measuring cricketing popularity.
But the unmatched tempo of the world’s most followed T20 league goes a notch higher when talks surround a certain MS Dhoni and his beloved Chennai Super Kings.
Does it not?
Though, this time around, in the same breath of talk, one is hearing about MS Dhoni- the unabashed and much respected icon of the league- and Ruturaj Gaikwad- among the most promising and keenly followed names in the spectre of competition.
Besides being teammates, there’s been little else in terms of some commonality that has (insofar) linked these two cricketers.
Which is why, this time around, the buzz surrounding them and their Mothership CSK is a touch different.
Even before the bright yellow adorning cricketers would take to the ground for their opening contest, news surrounding Dhoni and Ruturaj has set ablaze a new dialogue of sorts surrounding the CSK.
No longer shall one find Mahendra Singh Dhoni walking out with his opposite number for the toss before the start of the contest as was often the case in all these years.
Likewise, no longer will one see MS Dhoni sending out instructions in any of the innings or setting the field to counter his rivals.
The baton of captaincy, as one suddenly found out a few hours ago, shifted from MS Dhoni to the rising Ruturaj Gaikwad.
While to the non-CSK fans, the lot that may be devoted to other IPL outfits, this is a shift in captaincy.
But to the die hard Chennai lovers who can’t imagine life without fun, South Indian traditions and their cricket and dosa, this is a tectonic shift of sorts.
It’s mighty. It’s massive.
It’s perhaps the start of a brand new era that will solidly define the next few chapters in the journey of a T20 franchise that is today a household name.
(Source- IPL Twitter/ X)
Dhoni himself stepping away brings voluntary conclusion to what has been a glorious era of captaincy that saw the side lift no fewer than five titles, next-best only to Mumbai Indians.
But for Ruturaj Gaikwad, it is, truth be told, a once-in-a-lifetime moment.
Even though chatter may have begun on what might Gaikwad do as the brand new leader of a team that’s been a heart line of sorts of the IPL, it’s a bit too premature to pass judgment or pose presumptions on how might he fare.
Although, what can’t be denied is that Ruturaj Gaikwad seems a cool customer whose classy batting somewhere appears in the mould of Mahela Jayawardene.
Dhoni, in his starting days, seemed a bit unfazed and was unhurried about things. He made plans and went about coolly executing them; something that Ruturaj Gaikwad, who seems a thinking cricketer, may want to draw a leaf out of.
For argument’s sake, there may even be a shade of KL Rahul in Ruturaj Gaikwad in that he ably combines the art of hitting with his gentle timing of the cricket ball.
The new captain would now want to do the same albeit with a bit more caution and newfound purpose for a team that’s given him tremendous prominence.
Not to take anything away from his batting talent, Gaikwad, who’s closing on 2,000 IPL runs, would want to also work his game against the new ball. However, his skill against spin brilliantly shines through. He’d have a wonderful time, one reckons, to work alongside men gifted with prime talent be it Dhoni himself or Jadeja.
At the same time, his younger colleagues such as Rachin Ravindra would provide the confidence that an enterprising outfit like Chennai SuperKings needs to deliver brilliance in this edition.
Let us hope that their 2024 campaign is much like a force to reckon with, something that was firmly evident the last season.