IPL 2022: With MS Dhoni around, new CSK captain Ravindra Jadeja not worried

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) management was wondering whether it was worth the investment they had made in Ravindra Jadeja. He couldn’t be a genuine batter, struggled to complete his four overs and it was only his fielding that kept him in the mix. But determination, hard work and perseverance helped Jadeja turn things around. Add to that MS Dhoni’s undying faith in multidimensional cricketers, and now the Saurashtra man has taken over from the old pro as the new CSK skipper. It was a decision that CSK had taken last season that they would groom Jadeja as the new skipper. The initial plan was that Dhoni would stay the skipper while Jadeja would be mentored to take over in due course. But Dhoni, during the camp in Surat, probably felt that Jadeja is ready for the job and there is no point in delaying the inevitable.

The fact that the likes of Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant and KL Rahul are captains of different franchises might have convinced Dhoni not to keep the best T20 finisher in India wait any longer. Jadeja would surely know what it means to take over the CSK captaincy from a man who is the heart and soul of the franchise.

“Mahi bhai has already set a big legacy and we need to carry it forward, so hopefully I will. And I don’t need to worry too much because he’s here and whatever question I need to ask, I’ll definitely go to him... “He was my go-to person and he still is today, so I’m not worried too much,” Jadeja tweeted on Thursday after the announcement. The guidance of Dhoni will be crucial for Jadeja while fielding, but it will be important to see if the 32-year-old can maintain his cool as a batter at the deep end.

“The process is organic and with Dhoni in the dug-out or may be batting with him, Jadeja won’t feel