MS Dhoni will not captain his IPL franchise Rising Pune Supergiants this season, with Steven Smith set to lead the team in the tournament that starts on April 5. The news broke on the eve of the tenth IPL player auction, in Bangalore on February 20.
Under Dhoni, Supergiants finished second last in their maiden IPL season in 2016, winning only five games and losing nine in a campaign ravaged by injuries to key players. It was the first time a team led by Dhoni had failed to make the IPL playoffs. Dhoni scored 284 runs in 12 innings at a strike-rate of 135; Smith, who captains Australia in all three formats, made 270 in seven innings at a strike-rate of 153.
Dhoni was picked as first choice by the Pune franchise in a player draft ahead of the 2016 season, after the IPL brought in two new teams – Pune and Gujarat – to replace Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals, who were suspended for two years in the aftermath of the IPL corruption scandal in 2013.
Dhoni had been captain of the Super Kings franchise since the IPL’s first season in 2008, when he was bought at the player auction for $1.5 million, the highest paid player at the time. He led Super Kings to the IPL title in 2010 and 2011, and the Champions League title in 2010 and 2014. Under him, Super Kings were also runners-up in four other IPL seasons.
Dhoni had also resigned as India’s ODI and T20I captain ahead of the home series against England in January.
More to follow …
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Source: ESPN Crickinfo