Who will be next CSK captain after Dhoni? Suresh Raina virtually confirms new CSK skipper

The 2023 Indian Premier League is scheduled to commence on March 31st with a match between defending champions Gujarat Titans (GT) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in Ahmedabad. Chennai Super Kings, led by captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, have already started their training camp in Chennai. The franchise acquired England's renowned all-rounder, Ben Stokes, in a highly competitive bidding war, and he is widely expected to succeed Dhoni as the next captain of the team.

Despite this, former CSK superstar and one of IPL's best performers, Suresh Raina, suggests that Ruturaj Gaikwad may be the likely successor to Dhoni when he eventually steps down or retires from the league. Gaikwad made his debut for CSK in the 2020 edition and had a breakthrough season in 2021, winning the Orange Cap with 635 runs in 16 matches, including his first century of the tournament, and with four half-centuries to his name. Gaikwad played a pivotal role in helping CSK win the final of the season.

“I want Ruturaj Gaikwad to be nurtured around him. Mahi bhai has a good brain, he's around the boys. I would say Ruturaj Gaikwad, he has done really well, I want him to do well for the country as well as for CSK. Rutu, good luck with your captaincy, brother,” Raina said during a discussion on JioCinema.

Chennai Super Kings squad for IPL 2023

MS Dhoni (c), Devon Conway, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ambati Rayudu, Subhranshu Senapati, Moeen Ali, Shivam Dube, Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Dwaine Pretorius, Mitchell Santner, Ravindra Jadeja, Tushar Deshpande, Mukesh Chowdhary, Matheesha Pathirana, Simarjeet Singh, Deepak Chahar, Prashant Solanki, Maheesh Theekshana, Ajinkya Rahane, Ben Stokes, Shaik Rasheed, Nishant Sindhu, Kyle Jamieson, Ajay Mandal, Bhagath Varma.

Chennai Super Kings IPL 2023 schedule

• Match 1: March 31, 2023 - Gujarat Titans vs Chennai Super Kings, Ahmedabad (7:30 PM IST)
• Match 2: April 3, 2023 - Chennai Super Kings vs Lucknow Super Giants, Chennai (7:30 PM IST)
• Match 3: April 8, 2023 - Mumbai Indians vs Chennai Super Kings, Mumbai (7:30 PM IST)
• Match 4: April 12, 2023 - Chennai Super Kings vs Rajasthan Royals, Chennai (7:30 PM IST)
• Match 5: April 17, 2023: Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Chennai Super Kings, Bengaluru (7:30 PM IST)
• Match 6: April 21, 2023: Chennai Super Kings vs Sunrisers Hyderabad, Chennai (7:30 PM IST)
• Match 7: April 23, 2023: Kolkata Knight Riders vs Chennai Super Kings, Kolkata (7:30 PM IST)
• Match 8: April 27, 2023 - Rajasthan Royals vs Chennai Super Kings, Jaipur (7:30 PM IST)
• Match 9: April 30, 2023 - Chennai Super Kings vs Punjab Kings, Chennai (3:30 PM IST)
• Match 10: May 4, 2023 - Lucknow Super Giants vs Chennai Super Kings, Lucknow (3:30 PM IST)
• Match 11: May 6, 2023 - Chennai Super Kings vs Mumbai Indians, Chennai (3:30 PM IST)
• Match 12: May 10, 2023: Chennai Super Kings vs Delhi Capitals, Chennai (7:30 PM IST)
• Match 13: May 14, 2023: Chennai Super Kings vs Kolkata Knight Riders, Chennai (7:30 PM IST)
• Match 14: May 20, 2023: Delhi Capitals vs Chennai Super Kings, Delhi (3:30 PM IST)

Image: PTI