‘A chapter fans will never forget’: Virat Kohli showers praise on MS Dhoni after he steps down as CSK captain

Kohli, who had said in the past that the word captain was always meant Dhoni for him, posted a tweet with a heart-warming picture of the two hugging it out.

“Legendary captaincy tenure in yellow skip. A chapter fans will never forget. Respect always,” Kohli tweeted.

After twelve IPL seasons, four title triumphs and five runner-up finishes, Dhoni finally decided to call it a day as CSK’s captain.

In a brief statement, CSK said the 40-year-old will continue to represent the franchise for the “season and beyond”, having led one of the most successful IPL sides since the tournament’s inception in 2008 — barring the two seasons when the team was suspended in the wake of the spot-fixing scandal.

“MS Dhoni has decided to hand over the leadership of Chennai Super Kings and picked Ravindra Jadeja to lead the team. Jadeja, who has been an integral part of Chennai Super Kings since 2012, will only be the third player to lead CSK,” said CSK in a statement on Thursday.

“Dhoni will continue to represent Chennai Super Kings this season and beyond,” the franchise added.

Dhoni, 40, who had announced his international retirement on August 15, 2020, had led CSK to their fourth title last season.

CSK play KKR in the IPL 2022 opener on Saturday.