Dwayne Bravo, the West Indian all-rounder and a vital member of CSK says that MS Dhoni wants to prepare his successor in CSK like he groomed Virat Kohli as the next India captain. Dwayne Bravo, who has been a part of the CSK set-up since 2018 and also played for them from 2011- 2015, said grooming the next CSK captain is already in the back of MS Dhoni’s mind.

MS Dhoni has led CSK in all 10 seasons that the franchise has been part of excepting the two banned years in the IPL. Under his leadership, CSK won the IPL thrice and emerged as the most successful franchise after Mumbai Indians who won IPL four times. In the last edition in 2019, they finished runners-up after losing the thrilling final to Mumbai Indians by only 1 run.

Dwayne Bravo: MS Dhoni Thinking About When To Step Aside And Will Not Change As A Person Despite International Retirement

Dwayne Bravo, who has seen his captain from close quarters, said MS Dhoni has been thinking about the transition in CSK for a while now.

“I know it’s been in the back of his mind for some time, I mean all of us have to step aside at some point of time. It’s just the matter of when… when to step aside and hand it over to whether it’s a Raina or someone younger,” Bravo told ABP News when asked about Dhoni’s plans for his successor in CSK.

Notably, Suresh Raina, who has pulled out of IPL 2020 citing personal reasons has been the official vice-captain for the last few years. CSK, however, are yet to name a new vice-captain for IPL 2020 or a replacement for Suresh Raina in the squad.

Bravo said MS Dhoni’s retirement from international cricket on Independence Day, 2020 will not change how he leads CSK in the IPL, which starts from September 19 in the UAE after being postponed due to Covid-19.

“He doesn’t have to worry about a billion people now, it’s just CSK the franchise but I don’t think that’ll change the person he is, won’t he change how leads the team, definitely he’ll be the same person,” Bravo said.

Dwayne Bravo played for Mumbai Indians from 2008-2010 besides Gujarat Lions in 2016 and CSK as mentioned earlier. He has featured in 134 IPL matches where he has scored 1483 runs and taken 147 wickets.

Dwayne Bravo Credits Players, Owners, And Management Besides MS Dhoni For Success In CSK

Dwayne Bravo, who is CSK’s second-highest wicket-taker credited the players, management, owners, and MS Dhoni for CSK’s success.

“We have a very talented squad, full of experience and also we have a management staff, that is very relaxed and balanced and also the owners… All these things come together and play a part (in making CSK a successful franchise). We don’t have any outside pressure from the owners or the management. We don’t feel under pressure with MS (Dhoni) as captain,” Bravo, who recently became the first cricketer to claim 500 T20 wickets, said.

Dwayne Bravo

“I think CSK have one of the most loyal fans whether we play in Mumbai, Delhi or Bangalore you see a lot of yellow shirts in the stands. We enjoy each other’s success, so these are the main reasons behind the success of CSK.”

The all-rounder said that he is lucky enough to at least get an opportunity to play again amidst the global crisis and the team must adjust to being in a biosecure bubble with no fans present in the stadium.

“Being in a bubble with no fans is sad but we still have to be thankful to at least get the opportunity to play again,” Bravo said.

Dwayne Bravo has played 40 Tests, 164 ODIs, and 66 T20Is for West Indies and has scored about 6500 runs and taken around 350 wickets in all three formats combined. He is one of three players with more than 1000 runs and 50 wickets in each format.