“He stepped away at exactly the right time” - AB de Villiers on MS Dhoni’s decision to give up CSK captaincy

Former South African skipper AB de Villiers has backed MS Dhoni over his decision to quit Chennai Super Kings' (CSK) captaincy ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 season. De Villiers feels the Indian legend has stepped away at the right time and can now focus on his batting.

On Thursday, CSK released a statement confirming that Dhoni had decided to hand over the reins to all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja.

Asked for his views on the big decision, De Villiers said during a discussion on VUSport Scouts:

“I am not surprised by MS’ move. I am actually quite happy for him. Having carried that burden for so long, people might think that it is easy to be captain, but it really wears you down. You have sleepless nights sometimes, especially when you don’t have good seasons. But I think he stepped away at exactly the right time, having won the last IPL. The season before the last would have hurt him a lot. To come back and win the trophy and then say 'I’ll still play but someone else takes over and I’ll be there to support', it’s the perfect move.”

The former Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) star, who retired from all forms of cricket last year, added that he is looking forward to Dhoni batting with freedom again. De Villiers stated:

“I am excited to watch MS just enjoy himself, to hit those big sixes again. Not to think too much about strategies and having to monitor guys. He can just go out there and hit sixes and entertain the entire world with what he does best, and that is to play cricket and win games.”

Under Dhoni’s leadership, CSK have won four IPL titles and are the defending champions in the T20 league.

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“He’s got all the experience that you need as captain” – AB de Villiers on Ravindra Jadeja

The South African legend also backed new CSK skipper Jadeja to do a good job, pointing out that he has plenty of experience. Praising the all-rounder, he stated:

“He’s a class player. He’s got all the experience that you need as a captain. You have Bravo, Dhoni and Robin Uthappa, plenty of experience around him to make some good moves. Other than that, he’s played the game more than enough to make the right decisions for the team.”

CSK will begin their title defense by taking on last season's runners-up Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on March 26.