IPL 2022: "Legendary captaincy tenure in yellow skip" - Virat Kohli pens emotional note on MS Dhoni's stepping down as CSK captain

Virat Kohli on Thursday put up a succint but emotion-filled message in tribute to MS Dhoni's captaincy career with the Chennai Super Kings (CSK). Referring to Dhoni as 'skip' (short for skipper), Kohli said fans will never forget his 'legendary' tenure.

The wicketkeeper-batter stepped down from CSK's saddle earlier today after 12 campaigns, which included four IPL titles. He chose Ravindra Jadeja as his heir and will play under the all-rounder in the upcoming IPL 2022.

Kohli posted a famous picture of him hugging Dhoni from the 2018 IPL with his message. The former India and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) skipper included two hearts in the caption - one red and the other yellow, presumably representing the iconic colors of their respective franchises. He concluded the post with a simple "respect always". He said:

"Legendary captaincy tenure in yellow skip. A chapter fans will never forget. Respect always.❤️💛 @mahi7781"

IPL 2022 will be the first time both leaders won't captain their IPL teams in a season. The iconic duo's friendship was always above the staunch and historic rivalry between their teams and the post above is yet another example of that.

Moreover, Dhoni's surprise decision to hand over the reins to Jadeja less than a week before CSK's campaign opener against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) was not dismilar to the transition of India's Test captaincy eight years ago.

On December 30, 2014, the 40-year-old announced his retirement from red-ball cricket, giving Kohli the captaincy armband in the middle of a Test series. Many still consider the series in Australia to be a shift in the 33-year-old's career trajectory, which culminated in him being an even more successful Test captain than his successor.

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"I don’t need to worry too much because he is here" - Ravindra Jadeja on MS Dhoni

Like Kohli, it won't be simple for Jadeja to fill Dhoni's shoes. Reacting to the announcement, Jadeja admitted the same, saying he needs to carry the legacy forward. He isn't too perturbed though and said the former captain will remain his "go-to person" like before.

The southpaw explained:

“Feeling good. At the same I know that I have to fill in big boots. Mahi bhai has already set a big legacy, So I need to carry that forward, so hopefully… I don’t need to worry too much because he is here. Whatever questions I have to ask, I will definitely go to him. He’ll be my go-to person. He was and still is today."

CSK's match against KKR will commence at 7:30 pm IST at the Wankhade Stadium on Saturday.