Three players who can captain Chennai, If MS Dhoni does not play the next season of Indian T20 league.

Chennai have had an underwhelming season in the ongoing edition of the Indian T20 League 2022. Prior to the start of the season, MS Dhoni handed the captaincy duties to Ravindra Jadeja. However, the decision didn’t reap rewards as the Men in Yellow suffered consecutive defeats in their first four matches before registering their first win of the season against Bangalore.

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Ravindra Jadeja’s failed to make crucial decisions while leading the side. And, the added pressure of captaincy was having a toll on his personal performance as well. Ahead of the game against Hyderabad, MS Dhoni, once again, took over the reigns.

The Men in Yellow put in an outstanding performance and won that game by 13 runs. However, they couldn’t replicate a similar performance in the next game against Bangalore on Wednesday. Currently, Chennai are languishing at the second from the bottom of the table, having managed to secure only 3 runs in 10 matches.

Barring a match-winning finish against Mumbai and a fifty in the first game, MS Dhoni’s personal performance doesn’t inspire a lot of confidence, and chances aren’t too high that he will play the next season for the Men in Yellow. On that note, we talk about three players who could lead Chennai if MS Dhoni doesn’t play the next season of the Indian T20 League.

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1. Ruturaj Gaikwad

Ruturaj Gaikwad is one of the most talented batsmen going around in Indian Cricket. Gaikwad finished the last season as the highest run-getter, scoring 635 runs in 16 matches at 45.36. He couldn’t attain a similar consistency this year but played a couple of notable knocks.

In the game against Hyderabad, Gaikwad played a stellar knock of 99 runs in just 57 balls, including 6 fours and 6 six. The young Indian batter is, definitely, the one for the future and could be seen leading the franchise in the cash-rich league next year.

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2. Moeen Ali

CSK’s success last year was largely attributed to Moeen Ali’s promotion at number three in the batting order. The England cricketer was sent to bat at number three and the decision worked wonders for the franchise.

He capitalized on the starts provided by the openers and was also pretty handy with the ball. Ali hasn’t had a similar impact this year but has done a decent job. With so much experience of playing T20 cricket under his belt, he could be a great option of leading the franchise next year.

3. Robin Uthappa

Robin Uthappa has been a prolific run-scorer in the Indian T20 League. He has been part of the cash-rich tournament since the inaugural edition of the tournament. In his Indian T20 League career, he has played for numerous franchises and has made a truckload of runs.

Uthappa has been part of the Chennai franchise for two years now and can play for at least a couple more years. He could also be a potential option to lead the side if MS Dhoni doesn’t play the next edition’s tournament. In his Indian T20 League career so far, Robin Uthappa has managed to score 4951 runs in 203 matches at 27.81.