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Wasim Akram and MSD (Source - Twitter)
In the world's biggest T20 competition, the Indian Premier League, Dhoni, who was reinstalled as the commander of the Yellow Army last season, has orchestrated four IPL title victories for CSK. Wasim Akram, a renowned Pakistani cricketer, has personally chosen the right replacement for the Ranchi veteran in Chennai Super Kings at a time when the IPL 2023 is widely regarded as Dhoni's final game of competitive cricket.
Akram thinks CSK have a backup in case Dhoni decides to retire from IPL cricket after the conclusion of the current season. The former captain of Pakistan has supported experienced Indian batsman Ajinkya Rahane to succeed Dhoni if he decides to retire at the end of the current season.
Wasim Akram spoke to Sportskeeda about who Chennai Super Kings can name as Dhoni’s successor. He said,
“CSK had tried Ravindra Jadeja as captain in IPL 2022 and saw that his own performances were getting affected. They had to change the captain. I think they won't get a better option than Rahane as he can become consistent and is a local player. We have seen that local players are more successful in franchise cricket."
Wasim Akram also then spoke about the other options that CSK might look into before making the decision. He said,
"As for foreign players, they don't even remember players' names, so how can they lead. So, I think Rahane is an excellent choice to lead Chennai if Dhoni says he's had enough. CSK might have their own plans, but they are a franchise that plan by putting a lot of thought, epitomized by Stephen Fleming, who knows the team culture inside and out and the players also trust him fully."
Senior batsman Rahane underwent a dramatic transformation during IPL 2023 and has now solidified his spot in the CSK squad after contributing several game-changing hits for Dhoni's team. In the IPL 2023 auction, Rahane was acquired by CSK for his base cost of INR 50 lakh. Akram, the former Pakistani pacer, wants CSK to win the illustrious trophy this year under Dhoni's guidance as well. Four-time winners Chennai Super Kings currently sit fourth in the IPL 2023 points standings having Dhoni at the helm. This season, Dhoni and company have accumulated 10 points in 9 games.