Former India as well as Chennai Super Kings captain MS Dhoni is one of the legendary captains in the history of cricket. Ahead of the start of IPL 2024, he passed the CSK captaincy to Ruturaj Gaikwad, leaving behind a legacy of leading the team to a record 5 IPL titles and he will be remembered for a long time as well. Dhoni led CSK in 14 of the 16 IPL seasons as well. Apart from his captaincy skills, his batting and impact behind the stumps played a key role in CSK’s success as well.

However, in an event hosted by Star Sports, Sunil Gavaskar shared what is special about MS Dhoni. He said, “That’s why they say, ‘Thala for a reason’.”

The legendary captain is often credited for shaping the career of many young players, some of whom are now stars in the Indian cricket team as well.

“See, there are players from different countries and different cities, you have to bring them together with a singular aim of lifting the IPL trophy. ‘In six weeks, we have to win this tournament’. For that, you might have some great players, and you are forced to keep them out due to team combination. But you don’t let them feel that they’re useless; you keep them as an integral part of the team. MSD has these abilities; that’s why he’s Thala for a reason,” concluded Sunil Gavaskar.