Matthew Hayden admitted that while deciding upon the future CSK captain would be an “emotional decision” for the franchise to make given what MS Dhoni has delivered as a captain in IPL but if individual performances are a factor then the 41-year-old doesn’t stand a chance to lead the team next season.
There were two questions that troubled Chennai Super Kings fans before the start of their final game in the ongoing 2022 Indian Premier League (IPL) – will MS Dhoni be available for IPL 2023, and, if yes, will he remain as the captain. While MS Dhoni did clear the air on the first, CSK is yet to make a decision on whether he will continue as the captain next season. And weighing in on the debate, former CSK opener Matthew Hayden gave his verdict.
Speaking before the start of the CSK-RR game at the Wankhede Stadium on Friday, Matthew Hayden admitted that it would be an “emotional decision” for the franchise to make (naming CSK skipper) given what MS Dhoni has delivered as a captain and the love and support garnered by the Chennai fans over the years.
Matthew Hayden Reckons MS Dhoni Ideally Shouldn’t Continue As His Contribution Is Questionable
Matthew Hayden further based his opinion by comparing MS Dhoni’s numbers with that of Rajasthan Royals captain Sanju Samson. He feels despite what Sanju Samson has delivered as a batter, which is more than MS Dhoni, his contributions have been questioned.
“It is a really tough one. It depends on what the franchise expects. If you want a captain who has scored 200 runs this season at a strike rate of 128, then no problem. He has still got power in the hands, he still has those reflexes behind the stumps, he has still got that great running between the wickets.”
“He is also the most experienced captain in the entire IPL and has got those titles behind his name and that team behind him as well. But as they sit to rebuild and re-structure, how much of that is going to be MSD’s contribution,” he said.
“If you look at his actual contribution then I would say there is no chance of playing on. Have a look at Samson, he has scored over 300 runs at an average of 30 and that is still questioned if it is a big enough contribution as a leader. So these are the things that will be measured and it will be a very emotional decision. Listen to the crowd and how they respond to him. And that is very important and that is why I fail to buy into this conversation,” said Matthew Hayden.
In spite of MS Dhoni venturing down as skipper toward the beginning of IPL 2022, he was taken a gander at as the focal figure at CSK. 8 matches into the season, Ravindra Jadeja, who was given over control 2 days before the competition, ventured down from the job, giving back the captaincy to MS Dhoni.
Sunil Gavaskar: Everyone Wants MS Dhoni To Carry On
Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar, who was part of the same conversation, however, contradicted Matthew Hayden’s words and felt that MS Dhoni should rather continue with his role next year.
“With the legend that MS Dhoni is, you just want him to go on and on. You cannot get enough of him, that is the thing. When Sachin retired, it was such a sad occasion, because suddenly we were thinking ‘Hello! From tomorrow we are not going to see him play!’ So a similarly I think for MSD we think we know he might be playing a few more matches next year and that is why we all want him to carry on,” he said.
It is worth mentioning that Ravindra Jadeja relinquished the captaincy after just eight matches. MS Dhoni is back as the leader and has confirmed that he will take part in next year’s cash-rich league. MS Dhoni, who had led the CSK since 2008, had given Ravindra Jadeja the leadership role ahead of the ongoing season.
CSK began the season with five losses in five games before registering two wins on the trot. Unfortunately, they lost their 8th game as well which meant their playoff hopes were virtually over only to see MS Dhoni back as skipper. After a disappointing IPL 2020 (200 runs) and IPL 2021 (114 runs) with the bat, MS Dhoni scored 232 runs in IPL 2022 averaging 33.14 in 14 games with 1 fifty besides his name.