'Dhoni might not lead CSK in 2021', says Sanjay Bangar
What's the story
Former Indian batting coach Sanjay Bangar believes Mahendra Singh Dhoni could hand over the captaincy of Chennai Super Kings to Faf du Plessis in the impending edition of IPL. Speaking on Star Sports' show Cricket Connected, Bangar said Dhoni might consider stepping down after CSK couldn't make it to the playoffs of IPL 2020. Here is more.
Statement
Bangar describes how Dhoni passed the reigns to Kohli
Here is what Bangar said on Dhoni. "As far as I know, Dhoni might have thought after 2011 if he should be continuing to captain the Indian team but he knew that India had quite a few tough encounters after that. At the right time he handed over the captaincy to Virat Kohli and he also played after that," said Bangar.
Quote
'Dhoni could give captaincy to Faf du Plessis'
"So as far as I can understand, I feel that MS Dhoni may not be the captain next year and may play as a player and give the captaincy at this stage to Faf du Plessis for the transition to happen under Faf," Bangar added.
CSK
First season where CSK failed to qualify for playoffs
The IPL playoffs sans Chennai Super Kings is certainly a rarity. The Yellow Army missed the qualification berth for the first time in 13 seasons. After winning the tournament opener against arch-rivals Mumbai Indians, things went south for them. Although the exploits of Ruturaj Gaikwad rejuvenated their campaign, it was too late for them. However, Sam Curran stood out for them.
Adversities
A torrid run throughout the tournament
The CSK contingent dealt with several adversities this season. Their campaign was marred by several injuries and absence of marquee players Suresh Raina and Harbhajan Singh. Even before the tournament, a few members, including Deepak Chahar and Gaikwad tested positive for COVID-19. Later on, even skipper Dhoni drew a lot of criticism for his peculiar decisions on the field.
Captaincy
CSK might not replace one of the greatest captains
Dhoni could score only 200 runs this time, his worst tally in 13 seasons. However, he is far from calling it a day. "Definitely not," he recently said on being asked whether this will be his last ever game. The CSK think tank wouldn't want one to replace one of the greatest captains. After all, he has been the heartbeat of Chennai Super Kings.