'There hasn't been a captain like Dhoni and will never be one in future'

Batting legend Sunil Gavaskar named Chennai Super Kings skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni as the best captain in the history of the IPL, saying 'there hasn't been a captain like him and will never be one like him in future'.

Dhoni completed 200 matches as captain of CSK in the match against Rajasthan Royals in Chennai on April 12, which they lost by three runs. The 41-year-old former India captain was the first player to achieve the feat in IPL history.

"CSK know how to get out of tough situations. This has been possible only under MS Dhoni's captaincy. Captaining 200 matches is very difficult. Captaining so many matches is a burden and it could have affected his performance as well," Gavaskar, himself a former India captain, said.

"But Mahi is different. He is a different captain. There hasn't been a captain like him and there will never be one like him in the future," said Gavaskar in a release from IPL broadcasters.

Dhoni has been part of CSK from the beginning of IPL, except for the two years (2016-17) the team was suspended due to the involvement of their officials in illegal activities. He led now defunct Rising Pune Supergiants in the 2016 season in 14 matches, taking his total match as captain to 214.

Dhoni's CSK have won the IPL title four times. His record as CSK skipper is 120 wins, 79 losses and one no result -- till the match against RR on April 12.

Gavaskar also praised star batter Virat Kohli for giving his side Royal Challengers Bangalore a flying start in their matches so far this season.

"Virat Kohli is giving RCB flying starts at the start of the innings. He deserves a lot of credit for the starts RCB is getting and the runs the team is managing to post on the board because of his starts. These are good signs for RCB."

• IPL 2023