Defending champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) have endured a nightmarish Indian Premier League's (IPL) 15th season as their play-offs hopes shattered with a five-wicket defeat against Mumbai Indians (MI) on Thursday.
This is for the second time CSK have failed to qualify for the play-offs after 2020. In the ongoing season of the cash-rich league they are languishing at the ninth place just ahead of MI as they have won only four matches in a total of 12 matches they have played.
CSK's season started with the advent of new skipper Ravindra Jadeja as former captain MS Dhoni decided to pass on the baton the star all-rounder of the team. But unfortunately, things went south for the four-time IPL champions and eventually Jadeja handed back the leadership role to Dhoni. But marred by the fortune, CSK's fate didn't change.
Meanwhile, Pakistan cricket legend Shoaib Akhtar hit out at CSK's season and the whole captaincy saga and opined that CSK management wasn't serious about the decision, further adding that he still fails to understand why the all-rounder was named the skipper. The Pakistan cricket great also spoke about Dhoni's future at the franchise and rather identified a new role for the veteran wicketkeeper-batter.
"I felt that the CSK management was not serious. If Dhoni leaves, what are they going to do? Why did they suddenly give the captaincy to Ravindra Jadeja? Only they could explain the decision. They need to come next season with a clear mind. The players they need should be retained," Akhtar said during an interaction on Sportskeeda.
Akhtar also spoke about Dhoni's future, adding that veteran wicketkeeper-batter will always be an "asset" to the team.
"If Dhoni wants to come as a mentor...he did the same for India (in 2021 T20 World Cup) and if he wants to continue playing for next two seasons then great. Even if he does take up the role of a mentor or even the head coach and decides to take CSK from there on, it won't be a bad decision either. He's an asset," he further added.
