Rishabh Pant's 'Thalaiva' post sparks speculation amid CSK rumors, fans speculate on potential replacement of MS Dhoni

The IPL auction is undoubtedly one of the most anticipated events in the world of cricket, especially when a mega-auction is on the horizon. With 10 teams vying for the best players, fans can expect some major shake-ups in team rosters. One player who has been generating a lot of buzz is Rishabh Pant, with rumors swirling that he may consider a move away from the team he has been synonymous with. As the speculation mounts, it will be interesting to see where Pant ends up in the upcoming season.

Reports suggest that the Delhi Capitals are not too happy with Pant's captaincy and this coincides with uncertainty over whether MS Dhoni has one more year in him. The legendary former Chennai Super Kings (CSK) captain turned 43 this year and had been battling with significant problems with his knee throughout last season, in which he often came to bat in the lower order and hardly ever faced more than an over in a match. His wicketkeeping standards, however, never seemed to have taken a dip.

It is amidst these rumours that Pant on Tuesday posted a photo on his Instagram handle in which he is immitating a pose struck by superstar Rajinikanth. "Thalaiva," said the 26-year-old's caption for the post. There were a some users in the comments section who wondered if this was Pant's way of telling his fans that the move is indeed happening. “CSK pant is confirmed (sic.,” one comment read.

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A post shared by Rishabh Pant (@rishabpant)

Incidentally, Dhoni had also posted a photo in August 2016 of him imitating the same pose, which is from the movie Kabali released the previous month that year.

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A post shared by M S Dhoni (@mahi7781)

CSK to go for the country's next top wicketkeeper if Dhoni doesn't wish to play

According to Dainik Jagran, there have been discussions on whether to trade Pant, despite franchise's director of cricket, Sourav Ganguly, being in favour of keeping Pant as the captain. If Delhi wish to release Pant ahead of the auctions for the 2025 IPL season, Chennai could consider signing the India star as a replacement for Dhoni. When asked about the possible move for Pant from Delhi to Chennai, a CSK source also told the national daily that if Dhoni does not wish to play any longer, the franchise would try to get the country's next top wicketkeeper.

The reports came in the same week as Ricky Ponting stepping down as DC's head coach. While it was reported that Ganguly expressed his desire to replace the Australia great DC reportedly denied that they would make such an offer to the former India captain.

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