"Ben Stokes Will Be Captain": Kiwi Legend Makes Bold Prediction On MS Dhoni's Future At CSK

The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 auction saw Chennai Super Kings (CSK) making Ben Stokes their most-expensive purchase ever. At a fee of INR 16.25 crore, Stokes was roped in by the 4-time champions. Stokes, who leads England in the Test circuit, is also being seen as a potential future captaincy option at Chennai. But, former New Zealand all-rounder Scott Styris feels the England star could take over the bat from MS Dhoni ahead of the 16th edition of the league itself.

Stokes is undoubtedly one of the most sought-after all-rounders in world cricket. Over the course of his IPL career, Stokes has time and again shown what he can do with the bat as well as with the ball. But, does he have what it takes to lead Chennai Super Kings?

In a chat on Jio Cinema, Styris suggested that Dhoni would straight away pass on the captaincy baton to Stokes, just like he did with Ravindra Jadeja in the last edition.

"I think so, I think he will be captain. We have seen MS Dhoni try and pass the captaincy on, he has not been playing cricket regularly in between the IPL. It's just an opportunity for MS Dhoni to pass the baton. I think yes, they will do it straight away. Ben Stokes will be captain," Styris said.

Dhoni, who might be playing his last season for CSK in the IPL, has the responsibility of finding his successor on his shoulders. The move to give the role to Ravindra Jadeja backfired last year. Jadeja decided to relinquish the responsibility in the middle of the season, forcing CSK to reinstate Dhoni as skipper.

If Stokes is indeed seen as a captaincy candidate, the Super Kings might prefer to give him some time to settle before deciding to put the load of captaincy on his shoulders.

Topics mentioned in this article

Chennai Super Kings Ben Stokes MS Dhoni IPL 2023 Cricket