Ruturaj Gaikwad or Shubman Gill - which new captain has a tougher challenge on hand in IPL 2024?

Among the most highly anticipated contests of IPL 2024, fans will witness the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) take on Gujarat Titans (GT) at Chepauk Stadium on March 26.

The two teams dished out a feast for cricket lovers in the IPL 2023 final, with CSK pulling off a last-ball win to clinch their fifth title. Despite being victors of the last three IPL titles, the two teams underwent major changes in the leadership department.

Shubman Gill took over as GT skipper for the ongoing season after the departure of Hardik Pandya to the Mumbai Indians (MI). On the other hand, Ruturaj Gaikwad was handed the mantle to the CSK kingdom, with MS Dhoni stepping down as captain.

The game within the game between the two captains only adds more juice to this potential humdinger between CSK and GT. Both captains got off to the ideal start by winning their season openers, with CSK defeating RCB convincingly and GT pulling off a comeback win against MI.

Yet, the long and tenuous IPL season will likely throw stiffer challenges at the duo, and it will be worth watching if they can overcome the potential hurdles to come out on top.

On that note, let us look at who between Ruturaj Gaikwad and Shubman Gill faces a tougher challenge in IPL 2024.

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#1 Who inherited the better team?

It is safe to say Ruturaj Gaikwad and Shubman Gill have formidable rosters at their disposal to unleash on the opposition.

CSK has suffered no massive losses in terms of personnel, barring an aging Ambati Rayudu from last to this season. They have also added two in-form New Zealand all-rounders, Rachin Ravindra and Daryll Mitchell, who showcased their expertise on Indian tracks in the 2023 World Cup.

The Men in Yellow also added Bangladesh left-arm pacer Mustafizur Rahman, and the impact was immediate, with him picking up four wickets in CSK's opening game win against RCB. The Super Kings also added one of their key former players, Shardul Thakur, and will have a fit-again Mukesh Choudhary after he missed last season with an injury.

On the other hand, while aided by a few valuable additions during the auction, GT also suffered colossal losses to their squad. The 2022 IPL champions added potent Afghanistan all-rounder Azmatullah Omarzai, veteran Indian pacer Umesh Yadav, and designated finisher Shahrukh Khan, among others.

Yet, all of those pale in comparison to the loss of their former skipper Hardik Pandya, and ace pacer Mohammed Shami. While the former added irreplaceable value with bat, ball, and his leadership, the latter was the leading wicket-taker in IPL 2023.

Hardik's trade to MI and Shami's season-ending injury leave GT weaker than CSK on paper, making the task more challenging for Gill.

Advantage: Ruturaj Gaikwad

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#2 Who has the edge in prior captaincy experience and success?

Taking over an IPL franchise is no easy feat and it massively helps to have prior captaincy experience and success at reasonably higher levels. While Ruturaj Gaikwad and Shubman Gill aren't veterans in leading sides, the former has a definite edge.

Gill has only captained two T20s, four first-class games, and six List-A games, all way back in 2019. Among them was leading India Blue in the Duleep Trophy and India C in the Deodhar Trophy, with a final run in the latter.

On the other hand, Gaikwad has led Maharashta consistently in the white-ball format since 2020. Despite not achieving ultimate glory, the side finished runners-up in the 2022-23 Vijay Hazare Trophy.

The CSK skipper also led India admirably in the 2023 Asian Games, with the side undefeated and winning the Gold Medal. Gaikwad has been India's vice-captain in the Ireland and Australia T20Is last year.

With a bigger wealth of experience as captain at all levels, Gaikwad will likely have an easier time transitioning into the helm in IPL.

Advantage: Ruturaj Gaikwad

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#3 Timing and Legacy

The saying 'Time is an illusion and timing is an art' holds for any and everything in the sporting universe.

While Gill was made GT captain immediately after Hardik Pandya's departure months before the start of the IPL, Gaikwad took over a day before the season opener. And despite Gaikwad stating his being prepared from last year with Dhoni appraising him of the possibility, it is a completely different ball game when actually the captain.

The amount of preparation in the training camp before the start of the season and building up the team's strategies and identities were some of the things Gaikwad was possibly deprived of. It could be a factor when a testing moment on or off the field transpires between personnel or with the media.

Then there is the 'MS Dhoni' factor, with its share of pros and cons. While having the predecessor behind the stumps could play a massive role in eliminating questionable decisions on the field, it could also intimidate Gaikwad by constantly reminding him of the legacy he is carrying on his young shoulders.

Dhoni is IPL's winningest captain and has led CSK to five titles, something Gaikwad could be burdened by, especially if things go south in a few games. It isn't that Gill is entirely devoid of those expectations, with GT winning a title and finishing runners-up in the last seasons.

But neither the legacy nor the expectations are as stratospheric as those for Gaikwad leading CSK.

Advantage: Shubman Gill

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To conclude, it would be fair to say both Ruturaj Gaikwad and Shubman Gill have different challenges to overcome during the 2024 IPL season to continue the winning tradition of their respective franchises.

However, Gill has a potentially more challenging task than Gaikwad, and today's match between CSK and GT could reveal as much about the two captains and their future as it does about the two sides.