'Ruturaj Gaikwad needs one more year...': Suresh Raina wants MS Dhoni to play IPL 2025 and groom CSK captain
MS Dhoni had stepped down as captain of Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at the beginning of IPL 2024 paving the way for Ruturaj Gaikwad to lead the five-time Indian Premier League (IPL) champions.
Suresh Raina has expressed his desire to see MS Dhoni playing in the 18th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). The veteran wicketkeeper-batter played 14 games for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the 17th season and batted at a strike rate of 220.54.
Therefore, Raina feels that the 43-year-old can add a lot of value to the five-time IPL champions. In addition to that, Raina also feels that the incumbent skipper of Chennai Super Kings Ruturaj Gaikwad needs more time before he settles down into his role.
"I want MS Dhoni to play in IPL 2025, considering how he batted last year. I feel Ruturaj Gaikwad needs one more year, the way he captained and a lot of things were said after the loss to RCB. However, Ruturaj has done a great job," Raina told Sports Tak in an interview.
Notably, Gaikwad had a decent run as captain during IPL 2024. Chennai Super Kings won seven and lost as many games during the season and lost their final league-stage match against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, Karnataka to crash out of playoffs contention.
The added responsibility didn't have an adverse impact on Gaikwad's batting as he was able to churn out good numbers during the season. Gaikwad got off to a slow start but was quick to regain momentum and finished the season as the second-leading run-scorer behind RCB's Virat Kohli.
The 27-year-old CSK batter amassed 583 runs in 14 innings at a stunning average of 53.00. He smashed a hundred and four half-centuries at a strike rate of 141.16.
Dhoni has played a monumental role in guiding Gaikwad over the years. Even during IPL 2024, the former CSK captain was seen making adjustments in the field and giving valuable inputs to Gaikwad.