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MS Dhoni will not be leading Chennai Super Kings (CSK) as the franchise announced a new captain on the eve of the start of the new Indian Premier League (IPL) season. CSK announced on Thursday that opening batter Ruturaj Gaikwad will lead the five-time champions in IPL 2024, begining the start of a new era at the franchise. “Presenting @ChennaiIPL’s Captain – @Ruutu1331,” the IPL posted on X shortly after releasing a picture of all captains posing with the IPL trophy. However, fans on social media labelled the announcement as the “end of an era”.

Here’s how internet reacted:

END OF AN ERA IN IPL…!!!

– Dhoni not the captain of Chennai.
– Rohit not the captain of Mumbai. pic.twitter.com/BOnJ2UFPSy

— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) March 21, 2024

End of an Golden Era of these superstars #MSDhoni #csk #RohitSharma #ipl #captain pic.twitter.com/ZPFpEcsCeh

— Riseup Pant (@riseup_pant17) March 21, 2024

appointed as New CSK Captain!

Two Most successful captains Won’t be leading in 2024 IPL….Its End of an Era!#IPL2024 pic.twitter.com/1sxPJ1lw2Q

— (@Shebas_10dulkar) March 21, 2024

First time Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma all three will play as non captains in IPL 2024.
The end of an era pic.twitter.com/oHd7O0Af3A

— Pari (@BluntIndianGal) March 21, 2024

10 seasons
5 Trophies for Rohit.
3 Trophies for Dhoni.

The end of an El Clasico Era pic.twitter.com/7558kVpKyo

— (@45Fan_Prathmesh) March 21, 2024

“MS Dhoni handed over Chennai Super Kings’ captaincy to batter Ruturaj Gaikwad ahead of the start of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. Ruturaj has been an integral part of Chennai Super Kings since 2019 and has played 52 matches in IPL during this period,” CSK informed through an official statement on Thursday.

He led the CSK in 212 IPL matches, winning 128 matches and losing 82. Dhoni announced his retirement from international cricket on August 15, 2020, after leading the team to glory in the 2007 T20 World Cup, 2011 ODI World Cup and the 2013 Champions Trophy.

Last year, Dhoni led the Chennai franchise to a record-equalling fifth IPL title against the Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad. The 42-year-old, who remains one of Indian cricket’s most admired faces, enjoying fandom that rivals that of some current stars, captained Chennai since the inaugural IPL season in 2008, barring two years when the franchise was suspended from the tournament over fixing charges.

He handed over the captaincy mantle to star-all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja at the start of the 2022 season but returned to lead the franchise again after just eight matches into the season.

Ruturaj was part of CSK’s victorious IPL 2023 campaign. One of the heroes of the campaign that year, the Maharashtra batter stitched important partnerships with fellow opener Devon Conway for the Chennai franchise.

In 16 matches in the 2023 season, Gaikwad scored 590 runs at an average of 42.14. He also scored four half-centuries in the tournament, with a best score of 92.

In his IPL career since making his debut for the CSK in 2019 and finding ‘yellove’ from the fans, he has scored 1,797 runs at an average of 39.07 and a strike rate of 135.52. He has scored one century and 14 fifties, with best score of 101*.

(With ANI Inputs)