Speculations are rife that Dhoni will call time on his professional cricketer after the IPL 2023 season.
While Dhoni has teased the idea of his retirement on occasions in the ongoing IPL, the 41-year-old has also hinted towards it at times.
Amid the speculations, former Australia all-rounder Tom Moody has opined that CSK will change dramatically on the field post Dhoni’s retirement.
With Dhoni at the helm, CSK have won the IPL title four times while they are set to face defending champions Gujarat Titans in Qualifier 1 of IPL 2023 at Chepauk on Tuesday (May 23).
“It will change dramatically on the field, for sure. He will still have a presence because I'm sure he will still be there in some mentor role or coaching role. The impact of leadership is significant in the IPL and we have seen historically that the very well-led teams are more often than not in top four,” said Moody while speaking to ESPNCricinfo.
“We saw last year when Jadeja took over the leadership, suddenly it didn't have the same feel about the team. The culture is set now. So, you'll have a new captain, and you might see him making slightly different calls on the field, but I don't see with the new captain, CSK suddenly getting into chopping and changing,” he added.
According to Moody, it is easier for senior pros like Ajinkya Rahane and Piyush Chawla to play for teams like Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians as they feel their skill is backed.
Chawla has claimed 20 wickets for MI this season, while Rahane has amassed 282 runs at a strike rate of 169.88 for CSK.
"It is easier for someone like Piyush Chawla or Ajinkya Rahane to succeed in a franchise like MI or CSK because they feel like their skill is backed and they are trusted and given the opportunity to fail. Everyone fails, and it's the case of making sure that person still feels that they belong and they are trusted in what they are doing,” Moody remarked.