On Thursday, former India cricketer CD Gopinath backed MS Dhoni’s decision to step down as Chennai Super Kings captain and hand over the reins to Ruturaj Gaikwad ahead of the Indian Premier League.
The 94-year-old Gopinath, who started his Test career with knocks of 50 not out and 42 against England in 1951, believes it is a wise decision to relinquish captaincy and develop a younger star to lead the team forward.
“MS Dhoni is a well-balanced individual and an excellent leader of men. It must have been his decision to promote Ruturaj (Gaikwad) to captain because he is aware that he will not remain captain indefinitely.
“He wants to nurture Ruturaj and see him take CSK to greater heights,” Gopinath told PTI Video.
He praised Dhoni’s captaincy and what he has accomplished for India and Chennai in the IPL.
“MS comes from a very diverse background. Nobody in Jharkhand would have expected you to play cricket for the country at the time.
“MS Dhoni is not only a great captain, but also a great human being. He doesn’t show emotions and is extremely balanced.
I am grateful that he has led CSK, but there comes a time when everyone must say goodbye to the game.”
Gopinath also predicted CSK to defeat Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the opener on Friday, saying the latter, who are still looking for their first IPL title, may have to wait at least one more season to lift the trophy. He predicted a final between CSK and Hardik Pandya’s Mumbai Indians.
“Virat is an excellent player who will continue to play for many years. But I don’t believe he will win the title this season.”
Gopichand also advised Rohit Sharma to avoid taking pre-planned shots if he wants to be successful this season.
“Rohit is a good player who is aggressive, but his tendency to pre-plan his shots has recently cost him. He should not plan his shots ahead of time, but rather wait and play the ball as it comes.
Gopinath commented on Rishabh Pant’s comeback, saying, “One player cannot change the fortunes of the team, and as captain, he must understand the opposition well. If he does this, he will be successful with DC.”
