'There's no One Better in India Than MS Dhoni...': Steve Smith Recalls the Time When he Captained CSK Legend in IPL

Steve Smith is one of the few players who has been both teammate and an opponent of MS Dhoni besides playing under his captaincy and leading him as well in IPL.

During the two IPL seasons – 2016 and 2017 –  when Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals were suspended, Rising Pune Supergiant was one of the two teams that took their place.  In their first season, RSP were led by Dhoni but after a disappointing seventh spot on the table, they replaced him with Smith for the next year.

Recalling his time playing with Dhoni, Smith acknowledged how the wicketkeeper-batter helped him out during his captaincy stint.

“There were many occasions where MS was fantastic. You know, I really enjoyed playing with him. I enjoyed leading him as well. He certainly helped me out,” Smith said on Star Sports.

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Under Smith, RPS finished as the runners-up losing to Mumbai Indians in a last-ball thriller.

Dhoni stepped down from CSK captaincy on the eve of the IPL 2024 with Ruturaj Gaikwad taking over the responsibility. The legendary skipper this brought down curtains on his highly successfull stint that saw CSK win IPL titles five times, the joint-most in the league’s history.

“There’s no one better in India to have behind the stumps than MS Dhoni,” Smith said. “The way he understands the game and the angles of the game is second to none. So look, he was a tremendous person to play with. I really enjoyed his company on and off the field.”

Under the new skipper CSK have won their opening two matches to start their title defense on a strong note.

It’s being reported widely that the ongoing IPL season could be Dhoni’s final as a player.

Talking about Dhoni’s personality, Smith said the wicketkeeper-batter is a busy person but ‘extremely down to earth’.

“He’s such a chilled guy, obviously extremely busy with loads of things outside the game, but extremely chilled down to earth and a wonderful person,” Smith said of Dhoni.