'Who is the real captain': Dhoni setting the field in CSK captain Gaikwad's presence sparks debate

In an exciting contest on Friday, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) scored 173/6 in 20 overs. Super Kings (CSK) chased down the goal, reaching 176/4 in 18.4 overs and won by six wickets with eight balls remaining. CSK's Mustafizur Rahman was named Player of the Match after recording an amazing 4/29 in 4 overs. Anuj Rawat led RCB with 48 off 25 balls, while Dinesh Karthik added 38* from 26 balls. CSK's Rachin Ravindra smashed 37 off 15 balls, while Shivam Dube added an undefeated 34* from 28 balls. The match was the first successful match of the IPL 2024, as CSK kicked off their championship defence in style. The tight encounter was defined by RCB winning the toss and choosing to bat first at the MA Chidambaram Stadium.

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MS Dhoni sets the field for CSK during match against RCB

The focus of the IPL 2024 season opening at Chennai's MA Chidambaram Stadium was Ruturaj Gaikwad's debut as captain and the performance expectations for the reigning champions, Chennai Super Kings, under his guidance. Just a day before the match, MS Dhoni handed over the captaincy to the youthful prodigy for the second time in his CSK career. While it was expected that Gaikwad would seek advice from the renowned skipper at difficult periods, a video from Royal Challengers Bengaluru's innings raised doubts about who was making the decisions on the pitch.

Gaikwad had good leadership abilities in his debut as captain, notably in his strategic bowling selections following RCB's strong start with Faf du Plessis at the helm. Despite a blistering 41-run partnership that left Chennai reeling, the squad immediately recovered. Mustafizur Rahman's two important wickets in the final over of the powerplay, followed by Deepak Chahar's breakthrough in the next, aided Chennai's recovery, limiting RCB to three wickets for 42 runs.

At the strategic break following the ninth over, Gaikwad was seen having a lengthy conversation with Dhoni, likely seeking guidance on how to proceed with the balance of the innings.

However, RCB staged a comeback, aided by a strong 95-run partnership between Anuj Rawat and Dinesh Karthik, and set a goal of 174 runs. A video circulating on social media after the innings raised debate over Gaikwad's leadership position, since Dhoni looked to be actively involved in pitch placements during the RCB's batting spell.

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Former India cricketer and Chennai Super Kings player Subramaniam Badrinath shared similar opinions on social media. He wrote: 

“I think MS Dhoni is still the fielding captain”

Shivam Dube, who had an important innings of 34 runs off 28 balls, including a six and four boundaries, was asked by the announcers after the match about the transition in fielding responsibilities from Dhoni to Gaikwad. He answered with a cautious smile.

“Since Dhoni is the wicketkeeper, his angles in judging the field is better and so we will obviously still look at him for opinions.”