Former Pakistan bowler Wasim Akram is the latest to suggest MS Dhoni’s replacement as Chennai Super Kings captain after he retires. Notably, MS Dhoni is expected to leave the IPL after this season, but nothing is official as of yet.
In an interview with a sports website, Akram stated, “CSK tried Ravindra Jadeja as captain in IPL 2022 and saw that his own performances were getting affected. They had to change the captain. I think they won’t get a better option than Rahane as he can become consistent and is a local player. We have seen that local players are more successful in franchise cricket.”
Explaining his reasoning for selecting Rahane as a replacement, Akram stated that while CSK may have its strategy, Rahane, as a local player, remains an excellent choice.
“As for foreign players, they don’t even remember players’ names, so how can they lead?” added Akram. “I think Rahane is an excellent choice to lead Chennai if Dhoni says he’s had enough. CSK might have their plans, but they are a franchise that plans with a lot of thought, epitomized by Stephen Fleming, who knows the team culture inside and out and the players also trust him fully.”
Regarding Dhoni, the wicketkeeper-batsman had said during one of the IPL 2023 games, “All said and done, it’s the last phase of my career, however long I play. After two years, the fans have had the opportunity to come here and watch. It feels good to be here. The crowd has given us a lot of love and affection. Not getting enough chances to bat, but no complaints.”
