RPS owner reveals the reason behind Dhoni’s sacking, 'we wanted a young captain'

On the eve of the IPL auction in Bengaluru, the Pune-based franchise has replaced MS Dhoni with Steven Smith as captain for the tenth season of the IPL. Dhoni, who stepped down from Indian limited-overs captaincy last month, will now play under someone in the IPL for the first time.

RPS team owner Sanjeev Goenka said to India Today, "We have opted for Steve Smith as captain of RPS for the forthcoming IPL season. We wanted a young captain. We spoke to Steve Smith and he agreed. We have communicated the decision to Dhoni. He is a thorough professional. Dhoni and Smith share a great rapport. MS is ready to help him on the field." 

Dhoni had led suspended franchise Chennai Super Kings (CSK) for eight years and the team had won two consecutive IPL titles in 2010 and 2011, and also won two Champions League T20s in 2010 and 2014. Under his leadership, CSK had finished runners-up on four occasions.

After the Supreme Court suspended Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals for the IPL match-fixing scandal in 2013, Dhoni was picked by Rising Pune Supergiants as the first-choice in the player draft ahead of the 2016 season. 

Speaking about Dhoni, Goenka said, "I have the highest regard for MS Dhoni as a leader and a person. Dhoni will continue to be an important part of our team. He is supportive of the decision keeping the franchisee's best interests in mind."