"They won’t get a better option than..."- Wasim Akram picks MS Dhoni's successor; leaves Jadeja and Stokes

After a horrible season in the TATA IPL 2022, the four-time champion made a stunning comeback in the 16th edition. MS Dhoni and his men are currently in fourth place with five wins, 10 points, and a NRR of +0.329.

The team has done a decent job so far, despite losing their last two games. There have been a number of positives for the four-time champion. Despite the absence of Ben Stokes (INR 16.25 crore) and Deepak Chahar (INR 14 crore) due to injuries.

But despite that, CSK has used their limited resources. The 16th edition could be the last one for CSK skipper MS Dhoni. Although he hasn't made any official confirmation, there are chances that he might hang up his boots after the conclusion of the IPL 2023. Dhoni has been the captain of Chennai since the inaugural season in 2008.

Last season, he stepped down as captain, and the franchise appointed Ravindra Jadeja as the new captain. But it didn't go well, and the captaincy was given back to MSD in the middle of the season. However, if Dhoni retires, then who will be the next captain of the team.

This has been a topic of discussion among former cricketers, analysts, and fans. Some have named Ruturaj Gaikwad to be the next captain, while others have said Ben Stokes could be the next leader. Some also reckon that Jadeja should get another chance. However, former Pakistani legend Wasim Akram has weighed on Ajinkya Rahane.

In a discussion on Sportskeeda, Akram said, "CSK had tried Ravindra Jadeja as captain in IPL 2022 and saw that his own performances were getting affected. They had to change the captain. I think they won’t get a better option than Rahane, as he can become consistent and is a local player. We have seen that local players are more successful in franchise cricket"

He also said that the franchise might have other plans, but Rahane could be an ideal choice. Notably, Rahane has led Rajasthan Royals in his IPL career, while he also led the Indian Test side in the absence of Virat Kohli in some games and was the captain of the Indian team that won the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2020–21.