"Childhood is officially over!" - Twitter in shock as MS Dhoni steps down as CSK captain ahead of IPL 2022

After a highly successful 14 years, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) legend MS Dhoni has decided to step down from the captaincy and hand over the reins to star all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja.

The 40-year-old has arguably been one of the greatest skippers the game has ever seen. Being the only captain to have won all three ICC white-ball tournaments, Dhoni has also won a record four titles with CSK. The longest-serving captain in the history of the IPL has definitely put an end to a golden era.

Fans on Twitter were emotional about the fact that they won't see MS Dhoni walk out for the toss anymore. However, they also hope that without the burden of captaincy, Dhoni the batter can step up and get back to his vintage best.

Here are some of the reactions:

MS Dhoni and Ravindra Jadeja's roles in IPL 2022

Ravindra Jadeja is currently in the form of his life with both the bat and the ball. After a stellar all-round performance against Sri Lanka in Tests, Jadeja will be keen to prove that he is equally impactful in white-ball cricket too.

Having been with CSK since 2012, Jadeja is well versed with the team culture and will have the best mentor in MS Dhoni to groom him. It will be interesting to see whether Jadeja promotes himself higher up the order, now that his batting has just reached a new level.

Meanwhile, Dhoni's role will be interesting to watch going forward. The 40-year-old has scored just 314 runs in the past two seasons combined and often dropped himself down the order for the benefit of the team.

However, if Jadeja gives Dhoni the license to bat up the order with complete freedom, we could witness something special in this IPL.