Ruturaj Gaikwad had been having an inkling about captaincy during the last edition of the Indian Premier League in 2023. But, everything was set straight on Thursday when MS Dhoni decided to step down from captaincy, handing the reins to Ruturaj Gaikwad. Ruturaj Gaikwad will now be leading CSK in the IPL 2024. Speaking after taking over as CSK’s new skipper, Ruturaj Gaikwad talked about being hinted about the new role. 

"Last year itself, Mahi bhai had hinted about captaincy at some point of time. He just hinted that, 'be ready, it shouldn't be a surprise to you'. When we came into the camp, he involved me in some of the match simulation,” Gaikwad said in a video posted by IPL. 

“I remember him posting about a new role on social media and everybody was just pointing towards me and asking me, 'are you the next captain?'. I was like, 'maybe it meant something else for social media'. But back of the mind, it was there. He came and said, 'I've decided this and this', but definitely now that I'm here, I'm looking forward to this."

Chennai Super Kings will kick off their IPL 2024 campaign by squaring off against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the opening match of the tournament. Gaikwad said he had a chat with RCB skipper Faf du Plessis during captains’s meet. 

"I just met Faf in the meeting and I said, who would've thought few years down the line you leading RCB, you and me sharing the stage at toss. A lot to look forward to. It is one of the most exciting first-day games to look forward to," he said.

"To be trusted by MS Dhoni for a leadership role, that speaks a lot. Right from Day 1, I liked how this franchise has worked throughout the years. I got to know the real mantra behind success, the kind of things this franchise and Mahi bhai go through. I wouldn't like to change a single bit of it,” he said.

"For me, that's a great backbone to have him in the team. I have Ajju bhai (Ajinkya Rahane) as well, Jaddu bhai (Ravindra Jadeja) as well. So, definitely, a lot of options to look around. I don't think I need to change anything. Just give the kind of freedom the players want and everything will be fine," he noted.