Ruturaj Gaikwad needs one more year…lot of things were said after the loss to RCB: Suresh Raina

Ruturaj Gaikwad’s first season as captain for Chennai Super Kings has yielded mixed results. Though the side was in contention to qualify for the playoffs till their final league game CSK’s performances throughout the Indian Premier League 2024 were inconsistent not stringing more than two wins in a stretch.

“I feel Ruturaj Gaikwad needs one more year, the way he captained and a lot of things were said after the loss to RCB. However, Ruturaj has done a great job,” former CSK talisman Suresh Raina said speaking on Sports Tak. CSK ended up in fifth place on the table with seven wins and seven losses.

It was the first time Gaikwad has led an IPL franchise. Gaikwad took over the reins from MS Dhoni ahead of the 2024 season. While he has seen mixed results as captain he still was prolific with the bat and was one of the major contributors for CSK.

Speaking of MS Dhoni’s future Raina would suggest the veteran player can play 2025 season. “I want MS Dhoni to play in IPL 2025, considering how he batted last year.”

Dhoni went on to play in all 14 CSK games this season in IPL. He scored 161 runs at a strike rate of 220.55, which included 13 sixes. CSK head coach Stephen Fleming and batting coach Mike Hussey have maintained that Dhoni’s ability to hit the ball long and hard remains the same. The duo believes that there are no issues with Dhoni’s fitness.

However, Dhoni has left the doors open on his future and would say he will make the decision based on retention rules. “There is a lot of time for it (to decide on IPL future),” the 43 year old had said last month.

“We have to see what decision they take on player retention etc. Right now, the ball is not in our court. So, once the rules and regulations get formalised, I will take a call, but it needs to be in the best interest of the team.”

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