Chennai Super Kings captain Ruturaj Gaikwad has recalled former skipper MS Dhoni asking him to “get ready” for future opportunities to lead the five-time champions. Before the start of the 17th IPL, Dhoni announced his decision to step down as captain and Gaikwad was named as his successor. Before Gaiwa Kader, Ravindra Jadeja also tried his hand at captaincy in IPL 2022, but Dhoni replaced him as captain mid-season.

After CSK’s 7-wicket win over Kolkata Knight Riders on Monday, Gaikwad recalled the time Dhoni asked him to prepare himself for the captaincy.

“To be honest, it wasn’t a deep conversation because even the thing we were talking about was in a very cold state and we were just practicing and he came in and told me and all these things. But I feel like every Personally, everyone else out there obviously feels like there’s a lot of shoes to fill, but I want to be myself and I want to continue the culture. 2022, he said to me it might not be next year, but after that you might have an opportunity to lead , so to be prepared…I was prepared after that, it was nothing new to me, it was not a surprise, a shock or anything new,” Gaikwad said in a post-match press release said at the meeting.

CSK have won three of their five games this season under Gaikwad’s leadership, with all the wins coming at the team’s home ground.

CSK won their first two games of the season before losing their two away matches against Delhi Capitals and Sunrisers Hyderabad.

“I want to keep the culture of CSK going. The success we have had, what we have been doing. I don’t want to change any of it, I just want to come out there and make my own decisions and contribute as much as possible Freedom, because that is what has happened since I joined CSK and I am enjoying it,” Gaikwad added.

After winning by 7 wickets, CSK moved up to fourth place with 6 points and a net run rate of 0.666.