MS Dhoni’s timing with major announcements has always been a topic of contention throughout his career. His Test captaincy in 2014 during the Australian tour, his retirement announcement in August 2020, and lastly his decision to step down as captain of Chennai Super Kings only two days before the commencement of the Indian Premier League (IPL). Shoaib Akhtar, a former Pakistan cricketer, questioned the same, admitting that he was perplexed.
As CSK made the major announcement on Thursday evening, two days before the IPL 2022 opening between the reigning champions and Kolkata Knight Riders at the Wankhede Stadium, fans hailed it as the end of an era. Dhoni turned the baton over to Ravindra Jadeja.
The Pakistan cricket veteran told Sportskeeda that Dhoni must have been “mentally fatigued” when he made the decision. He backed Jadeja for the new job, though, and called Dhoni the “greatest player in the IPL.”
“To be honest, two days before the IPL, I had no idea what they were talking about. Jadeja is clearly a talented player, and he will do everything in his power to guide the squad ahead. Dhoni, on the other hand, is a cricket mind you can always rely on. He is still the finest player in the Indian Premier League. I believe he was mentally exhausted. He must have considered delegating responsibilities to someone else and allowing himself to play freely “he stated.
The announcement stunned not just his followers, but even the franchise members, as CSK CEO Kasi Viswanathan confessed during a conversation on the franchise’s YouTube page.
