Chennai Super Kings (CSK) CEO Kasi Viswanathan has provided a major update regarding MS Dhoni's future in the Indian Premier League (IPL). In a video posted by CSK on YouTube on Thursday, Viswanathan mentioned, "I do not know. It is a question only MS [Dhoni] can answer. We have always respected the decisions taken by MS. We have left it to him, and as all of you know, he has always taken his decisions and announced them at the appropriate time," Viswanathan said.
"We do expect that we will get a decision as and when he decides. But we are very hopeful he’ll be available for CSK next year. That is the view and expectation of the fans and mine," he added.
"The discussions we had with the team management from a couple of years ago when Ruturaj came into CSK and started performing well, we felt that he would be a good choice to captain the side. Both Flem (Fleming) and MS (Dhoni) had long discussions with him; they had plans to make him a future captain," the CSK CEO explained.
Read Also | Former CSK Star Shane Watson Receives ‘RCB, RCB’ Chants at Bengaluru College, Apologizes
"His performances and the way he approached the game, and his thoughts whenever he spoke with MS as well as Fleming… both of them felt that he would be a good captain at CSK. And we were not disappointed. He led the side comfortably. The pressure of captaincy has not affected him. We look forward to his contribution to CSK in the future," Viswanathan added.
"The CSK management, as well as the fans, have helped the CSK team to do very well. That is important because there is no interference in creating matters with the team. They are left with their job to do. It adds more responsibility to the team. They know now there is not going to be interference from the management, which means they have to deliver. They are professionals; they have to deliver. That has helped us," he concluded.
Dhoni, 42, stepped down as CSK captain at the beginning of the 2024 season, handing the reins to young batsman Ruturaj Gaikwad. Many fans expected Dhoni to announce his retirement after the season, but no such announcement came. This provided relief for CSK supporters who feared the end of the Dhoni era. Dhoni's continued presence would be a major boost for CSK, who have won the IPL title five times under his captaincy. The veteran wicketkeeper-batsman is still one of the most popular players in the league, and his experience and leadership would be invaluable to a young CSK squad.
Full interview of CSK CEO Kasi Viswanathan:
