MS Dhoni is back as CSK captain.© BCCI/IPL

Chennai Super Kings announced on Saturday that MS Dhoni is returning as their captain after Ravindra Jadeja relinquished the role to “focus on his game”. Jadeja was appointed captain two days before the start of the season, with MS Dhoni handing over the role to the all-rounder. But the franchise endured a difficult start to the campaign, winning just two of their first eight matches. “Ravindra Jadeja has decided to relinquish captaincy to focus and concentrate more on his game and has requested MS Dhoni to lead CSK,” the franchise said in an official statement. “MS Dhoni has accepted to lead CSK in the larger interest and to allow Jadeja to focus on his game,” the statement further read.

Jadeja himself has not been at his best with bat or ball this season and several experts had said that captaincy was taking a toll on the 33-year-old.

So far, in eight matches, Jadeja has scored 112 runs at an average of 22.40 and at a strike-rate of 121.74. With the ball, he has taken just five wickets in eight matches at an economy of 8.19 RPO.

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“Jadeja is clearly struggling with the bat, which is not a good sign. It is very important for him to perform with the willow because, if he keeps failing in the same manner, things will get extremely tough for the Chennai Super Kings. The pressure of captaincy is clearly showing on him,” former India opener Aakash Chopra had said on his YouTube channel.

Dhoni had led CSK in every season the franchise played in the IPL since its inaugural edition in 2008. He captained them to four titles, with the latest one coming last year.

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