In the first four games of the IPL 2023, the Chennai Super Kings have won two and lost two. If the team’s performance is inconsistent, injuries are a persistent source of concern for CSK. Ben Stokes and Deepak Chahar’s ailments were already causing the squad stress, and two significant injuries surfaced even after the team’s encounter against the Rajasthan Royals on Wednesday.
Sisanda Magala of South Africa was one of them, while the team’s strain was multiplied four times by the skipper MS Dhoni’s injury. There is uncertainty regarding Dhoni since, according to the most recent information, Stokes will miss the next three games. In such a circumstance, the franchisee is faced with a significant dilemma.
Stephen Fleming, the CSK coach, did, however, make a soothing comment the next day. The anxieties of the fans, however, won’t go away after witnessing the social media footage that went viral. Dhoni performed a ferocious inning for Rajasthan, scoring 32 runs in just 17 balls. Although his side lost the tight game by only three runs, Dhoni’s performance captured the hearts of the Chepauk crowd.
Dhoni, meanwhile, was limping as he left the field following the game. His knee ailment had already been a concern during the first game against the Gujarat Titans and even before. Now, CSK must compete in a crucial game against RCB on April 17th. In the event that both Stokes and Dhoni are absent, who would captain CSK?
MS Dhoni selected Ravindra Jadeja to take over as the captain of CSK before to IPL 2022. However, CSK had a very poor start under Jadeja’s captaincy. Out of the first five games, the Chennai squad only managed to win one. Following this dispute, MS Dhoni once more assumed leadership of the team, and Ravindra Jadeja quit.
The club purchased Ben Stokes at the mini-auction this season. There are several rumours that MS Dhoni may be retiring after this season, and that Ben Stokes would be the ideal skipper. However, the likelihood this time is such that both are hurt.
The issue now is whether Ravindra Jadeja will be given the leadership once more or if the team would look for another choice. In addition, the squad includes another member who can serve as team captain. We are referring to Moin Ali, who has prior international captaincy experience. During the T20 series against Pakistan, he served as England’s captain. Under Ali’s guidance, England also prevailed 4-3 in the series. This versatile English player contributes significantly and frequently for CSK. In this case, Moin Ali, who will be captaining CSK without Dhoni and Stokes, may show to be the best choice.
