Page 44 - The Indian EYE 031524

SPORTS MARCH 15, 2024 | The Indian Eye 44

IPL 2024

New role for Dhoni in CSK,

Cummins to lead SRH as

Lucknow awaits KL Rahul

The 17th season of the Indian Premier League will start on March 22, with defending champions

Chennai Super Kings set to clash with Royal Challengers Bangalore

OUR BUREAU has believed in changing their head
coach and captain every year for the
Mumbai/New Delhi/Ahmedabad
last four seasons in order to taste suc-
head of the upcoming sea- cess in the Indian Premier League
son of the Indian Premier (IPL) but they have failed to do so.
ALeague (IPL) 2024, MS Dho- The Kavya Maran-owned fran-
ni on Tuesday arrived in Chennai for chise parted ways with West Indies
CSK’s preparatory camp. With 17 legendary batter Brain Lara and
days left for the IPL, Dhoni linked brought in former New Zealand
up with the Chennai Super Kings spinner Daniel Vettori as the team’s
team after guiding them to their head coach for the much-awaited
fifth IPL title last season following IPL 2024. Recently, they replaced
their 5-wicket victory against Guja- Aiden Markram and handed over
rat Giants. the captaincy to Pat Cummins for the
Dhoni played the last IPL with a upcoming season.
knee injury which hindered his ability “SunRisers Hyderabad’s story
to run between the wickets. In June, is very interesting. They have played
Dhoni underwent surgery at Kokila- with a different coach and a different
ben Hospital in Mumbai. captain for four consecutive years.
Last December, CEO Kasi 2021 - David Warner and Trevor
Viswanathan provided an update Bayliss, 2022 - Kane Williamson and
on Dhoni’s recovery and said, “He Tom Moody, 2023 - Aiden Markram
[Dhoni] is doing well now. He has and Brian Lara, 2024 - Pat Cummins
started his rehab and is working in and Daniel Vettori,” Chopra said on
the gym.” his YouTube channel.
Ahead of the new season, Dhoni “Someone said change is the
dropped a hint at a new possible role only constant but here SunRisers
while expressing his excitement and Hyderabad’s second name has be-
wrote on Facebook, “Can’t wait for come change. They believe a lot in
the new season and the new ‘role’. changing everything. So they are
Stay tuned.” trying to move forward with a new
CSK’s preparatory camp began captain and coach combination for
on March 2, with the likes of Ru- a fourth consecutive year. Whether
turaj Gaikwad, Rajvardhan Han- it will happen or not, we shall find
gargekar, Mukesh Choudhary and out,” the cricketer-turned-commen-
Prashant Solanki joining the camp MS Dhoni and Ravindra Jadeja pose with the IPL trophy tator added.
at Chepauk. The SRH franchise has won only
CSK suffered an injury blow be- one title in IPL so far and that was
fore the beginning of the season as New Zealand’s third T20I against Aakash Chopra on changes in in 2016 under the leadership of star
New Zealand opener Devon Conway Australia. Sunrisers Hyderabad Australia opener David Warner. Af-
is expected to miss at least the first CSK will kick off their campaign ter that they reached the finals of the
half of the tournament after under- against Royal Challengers Bangalore ormer India opener Aakash 2018 edition under the leadership of
going thumb surgery. Conways sus- in the first game of the IPL 2024, at Chopra feels that the Sunris- star New Zealand batter Kane Wil-
tained a blow on his finger during Chepauk, on March 22. Fers Hyderabad (SRH) team Continued on next page... >>

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