I have highest regard and respect for Dhoni, says RPS owner Goenka

On the eve of the IPL auctions, the Rising Pune Supergiants (RPS) owner, Sanjiv Goenka, sprung the biggest surprise of the season. He decided to sack MS Dhoni as the captain of the franchise. Apparently, the team management wasn’t impressed with the performance they returned with last season despite having a good team at their disposal. Goenka opted for the Australian skipper Steven Smith and decided to hand over the captaincy reins to the 27-year-old for the upcoming season.

Citing the reason for the untimely sacking of MS Dhoni, the RPS owner mentioned that he wished to have a younger captain leading the side. Many pundits criticized the move. Former Indian skipper, Mohammad Azharuddin went on to call the sacking as utterly disgraceful and a third rate move by the owner. Now, as per the quotes in The Telegraph India, Sanjiv Goenka mentioned that he has very high regard for Dhoni. He is confident that Dhoni will have no issues playing under Steve Smith.

“I have the highest regard and the greatest respect for Dhoni. I’ve always been impressed with his mind and his thinking…Indeed, I’ve come away with a wow feeling each time that I’ve personally interacted with Dhoni. However, we have decided to appoint a younger captain and Dhoni is completely on board with this move of ours,” quoted Goenka.

He further added that he hopes that the team will put on an improved show this year. Last year they had finished 7th in the points table. He noted that Dhoni will be a key member of the side. Apparently, as per the reports, Goenka found it tough communicating with Dhoni which eventually mounted up to this decision. Dhoni was informed about his sacking by Raghu Iyer, the operations manager of RPS, in Ranchi. It is believed that Goenka then called up Steve Smith and has been in constant interaction with the Aussie.

“Technically, this is my last year as the owner of the franchise. I say that because it was bagged by us only for a period of two years. Of course, I hope to again own Rising Pune when the opportunity arises, but this is my last year for now. I’d certainly like the franchise to give an excellent account of itself in the upcoming edition (No.10) of the IPL. Dhoni will continue to be an important part of Rising Pune and the wealth of his experience is invaluable,” concluded Goenka.