England and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) all-rounder Moeen Ali believes that Ben Stokes could potentially succeed MS Dhoni as captain of the franchise. Moeen’s comments come ahead of CSK’s clash against fierce rivals Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium on Saturday, April 8. The MS Dhoni-led Super Kings signed Ben Stokes for a whopping sum of INR 16.25 crore in the mini-auction in December 2022.
While MS Dhoni remains the current captain, Moeen thinks that it is a “chance” for Stokes to take over the reins. He also suggested that Ruturaj Gaikwad, a flamboyant opener, could be on the list of potential leaders for the franchise. ESPNcricinfo quoted Moeen as saying, “He’s really enjoying himself. I think there’s a chance [that Stokes succeeds Dhoni]; of course, there’s a chance, because he’s obviously done really well in Test cricket. But MS is still obviously in charge and he’s going to be captain for a while. We have some other guys as well: Ruturaj is a fantastic player with a good head on his shoulders, so it depends on what the franchise wants.”
At 41, Dhoni could be leading the side one final time in the ongoing season, but there is no official confirmation from the skipper yet. In 2022, Ravindra Jadeja took over the captaincy but had to relinquish the role following dismal performances, leading to Dhoni’s return as the skipper.
CSK is gearing up for a mega clash against Rohit Sharma’s Mumbai Indians in the IPL’s ‘El Clasico’ double-header at the Wankhede Stadium on Saturday. With one win and a loss, CSK has had a mixed start to their campaign, while Mumbai had a forgetful outing against Royal Challengers Bangalore in their first match. Mumbai currently has the upper hand against CSK in head-to-head records, having won 20 times to CSK’s 14.
Rohit and Co. will be looking to bounce back from their recent loss and secure their first points in the top-tier league. It remains to be seen if CSK can maintain their winning momentum and emerge victorious against their arch-rivals in what promises to be an electrifying encounter.
