On the eve of the IPL 2024 opener, MS Dhoni stepped down as CSK captain, handing the leadership baton to young opener Ruturaj Gaikwad.

Under Gaikwad’s captaincy, the defending champions have won three out of their five matches so far. They are currently occupying the fourth spot in the 10-team points table.

Impressed with Dhoni’s successor, Indian batting legend Virender Sehwag recently shared a valuable advice for Gaikwad.

Speaking to Cricbuzz, Sehwag highlighted the importance of leadership qualities over immediate results, reminiscing about Dhoni's unexpected triumph in the inaugural edition of T20 World Cup.

"You can either look at a captain based on results or whether he has leadership abilities. And he has both. See, nobody expected MS Dhoni to win the T20 World Cup," Sehwag said.

With Dhoni at the helm, CSK won as many as five IPL titles and two Champions League trophies. Drawing parallels, Sehwag emphasized that Gaikwad's leadership journey could follow a similar progress route.

"But after he won, the expectations became bigger and then they started thinking about making him the ODI captain as well. Same with Gaikwad, results will show with time, but he has definitely shown the signs that he is cool and calm and uses his bowlers well. He is the best player to captain CSK right now," he remarked.

Chennai Super Kings’ next match is scheduled against the struggling Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday (April 14).