Chennai: 

Explaining why Ruturaj Gaikwad was appointed to lead CSK and his own role in the process, Dhoni said, "You have to look at the long-term picture. More often than not, the batsmen who are part of your core squad and do well for you are the ones you can rely on for a longer period. With bowlers, especially fast bowlers, there is always a tendency for injuries."

After the comfortable win against arch-rivals Mumbai Indians, Legendary India cricketer MS Dhoni revealed the reason behind why Ruturaj Gaikwad's appointment as Chennai Super Kings skipper and his role in the process. "Ruturaj has been part of us for quite some time. He has done well for us. His temperament is very good—he’s very calm, very composed. He and (Steven) Fleming get along very well. So those were the reasons we considered him for leadership," added Dhoni.

MS Dhoni also showed confidence him leading the team and doing well going forward. "We were quite sure Ruturaj would be good for us. After IPL last year, I almost immediately told him, ‘90% you will lead next season, so start preparing yourself mentally’. Before the start of the tournament, I also told him, ‘If I give you advice, it doesn’t 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. But the fact is, he was making 99% 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 added.

In the season opener, the 43-year-old Dhoni, who is playing in the tournament as an uncapped player, stumped Suryakumar Yadav within just 0.12 seconds. Dhoni is one of the four players to feature in all seasons of the Indian Premier League.

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