The much-awaited Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 season is all set to get underway on March 22. Defending champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) will take on Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the tournament opener at Chepauk.

On the eve of the game, MS Dhoni stepped down as CSK captain and handed over the leadership baton to young opener Ruturaj Gaikwad.

In his first assignment as IPL captain, Gaikwad will be up against his former teammate and RCB skipper Faf du Plessis.

Speaking to IPL, Ruturaj revealed the chat he had with Du Plessis and the great moment both will share when they come out for the toss on Friday.

Notably, Ruturaj Gaikwad and Faf du Plessis formed a formidable opening partnership in CSK’s triumphant IPL 2021 campaign. They contributed in almost every match and provided a solid start to their team, including a half-century stand in the final.

While Gaikwad won the orange cap with 635 runs in 2021, Du Plessis was not far behind as he amassed 633 runs in the 16 matches he played.

"I just met Faf (du Plessis) in the meeting and I said, 'Who would have thought a few years down the line, You playing for RCB and you leading RCB and you and me sharing the stage at the toss.'"

"So a lot to look forward to. And I think it is one of the most exciting first day games to look forward to," said Ruturaj.

The CSK captain said it felt great to be trusted by Dhoni for a leadership role and he was looking forward to the challenge.

"It feels great, I think, for two reasons. First of all, to be part of such a wonderful franchise, right from my IPL journey started and to be able to be trusted by MS Dhoni for a leadership role. Obviously, that speaks a lot. Obviously, the challenge lies ahead. So looking forward for it," said Ruturaj.

In the same video, Ruturaj Gaikwad also revealed how Dhoni had hinted him about the captaincy change last year.