"MS Dhoni Is Pretending, Doesn’t Want to Give Up Captaincy," Major Allegation Surfaces

Desk: Mahendra Singh Dhoni had stepped down from captaincy ahead of the previous IPL season, after which Ruturaj Gaikwad was handed the leadership of Chennai Super Kings (CSK). Under his captaincy, CSK didn’t have the best start this season. Later, due to an elbow injury, Gaikwad was ruled out of the tournament, and Dhoni once again took charge as captain.

Back in 2022, Ravindra Jadeja was also replaced mid-season, and Dhoni resumed captaincy. Now, ahead of CSK’s upcoming clash against Royal Challengers Bengaluru on May 3, Dhoni has found himself at the center of a serious allegation.

West Indies legend and current IPL 2025 commentator Darren Ganga has claimed that Dhoni still wants to be the captain but is portraying as if he’s no longer interested in the role. Ganga suggested that despite publicly stepping away from leadership, Dhoni is still very much involved in making key decisions and continues to exert his influence on the team.

Darren Ganga has raised serious concerns on ESPNcricinfo regarding Chennai Super Kings' continued reliance on MS Dhoni for captaincy decisions. He criticized the franchise's handling of leadership transitions, calling it potentially harmful for the team’s future.

According to Ganga, Dhoni has now become more of a problem than a support for Ruturaj Gaikwad. He stated that this situation mirrors what happened earlier with Ravindra Jadeja, when Dhoni resumed captaincy mid-season in 2022, which didn’t reflect a healthy environment for leadership development.

Ganga emphasized that such interference or overshadowing from a senior player, even if unintentional, undermines the authority and growth of the new captain. He believes that CSK’s long-term success depends on letting go of the Dhoni-dependence and allowing the next generation to lead independently.