Will MS Dhoni lead CSK in IPL 2021; CSK CEO answers

Will MS Dhoni lead CSK in IPL 2021: Indian Premier League 2020 has been Chennai Super Kings’ worst-ever IPL season due to multiple factors.

The ongoing 13th season of the Indian Premier League is the first time Mahendra Singh Dhoni-led Chennai Super Kings have failed to qualify for the playoffs.

Having lost eight and won four out of their 12 matches so far, Super Kings have a couple of matches remaining but the same won’t aid them in qualifying for the playoffs irrespective of the results.

Speaking in an interview to The Times of India, CSK CEO Kasi Viswanathan has admitted that the team didn’t play according to its potential in IPL 2020. Viswanathan also considered the withdrawals of vice-captain Suresh Raina and veteran spinner Harbhajan Singh as one of the reasons behind the team’s dismal performance this year.

“We didn’t play to our potential this season. We lost games that we should have won. That pushed us back. The withdrawals of Suresh Raina and Harbhajan Singh coupled with COVID-19 cases in the camp meant that the balance of the side was upset,” Viswanathan told The Times of India.

Will MS Dhoni lead CSK in IPL 2021?

Chennai’s performance has also allured criticism for Dhoni despite him leading the team to the playoffs in 10 consecutive seasons in the past. Being asked about Dhoni’s future as the leader of the franchise, Viswanathan expressed confidence about the same regarding IPL 2021.

“Yes, definitely. I am very confident that [MS] Dhoni will lead CSK in 2021. He has won three titles for us in the IPL. This is the first year we have not qualified for the playoffs. No other team has done that. One bad year does not mean we will have to change everything,” Viswanathan added.

With the bat in hand, Dhoni’s 199 runs in 12 IPL 2020 T20s have come at a moderate average and strike rate of 28.42 and 118.45 respectively.

In case the mega auction doesn’t happen before IPL 2021, Super Kings will have minimum options to build a new team. In such a scenario, the franchise would want Dhoni to continue as the captain for the next season as well.