New Delhi: Dwayne Bravo, the legendary West Indies all-rounder sent shockwaves across the cricketing fraternity by announcing his retirement from all forms of cricket. While his retirement became a big headline on Friday morning, the bigger news was his departure from Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and move to Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) as the franchise’s mentor.
The World Cup-winning West Indies all-rounder will replace Gautam Gambhir, who left the role to take over as India’s head coach earlier this year.
Bravo’s last season as a player was in the ongoing Caribbean Premier League, which was cut short due to an injury that he sustained earlier this week.
Bravo retired from international cricket in 2021 and ended his IPL career last year. He has since enjoyed coaching duties with Chennai Super Kings and the Afghanistan men’s team.
“DJ Bravo joining us is an exciting development. His relentless drive to win, along with his vast experience and deep knowledge, will greatly benefit our franchise and players,” Knight Riders Group CEO Venky Mysore said in a media release on Friday.
Besides KKR, he will be taking charge of other franchises under the Knight Riders label in T20 leagues.
Bravo was bought by CSK in an IPL 2011 auction for Rs 92 lakhs. He was a key member of multiple title-winning campaigns of the Super Kings. He played 130 matches for the franchise in 10 seasons before being released by CSK following IPL 2022 and was named as their bowling coach.
Is Bravo’s departure a sign of things to come at the CSK?
As fans await the announcement of IPL retention rules, the big talking remains Dhoni’s IPL future. The CSK icon’s IPL fate will be decided following the confirmation of retention rules. The BCCI is expected to allow the franchises to retain five players, and it will be interesting to see if CSK retains 43-year-old Dhoni despite his injury and fitness issues.
While it is understood that Dhoni will be retained if he tells the franchise of his intentions to play, there has been no such communication between him and CSK.
While Dhoni’s magic as a player is waning, he remains a master plotter and thinker and even if he is not in the team as a player, he can be a guiding force for the Men in Yellow as a mentor.
Stephen Fleming, the head coach of CSK, would want someone who knows the franchise and team culture in and out. Who better than Dhoni to play that role?
Is the departure of Bravo, a trusted associate, a sign of things to come at Chennai Super Kings?
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