MS Dhoni to lead Pune franchise in IPL 9

Mahendra Singh Dhoni will lead Rising Pune Supergiants in ninth edition of the Indian Premier League. Unveiling the team logo and announcing the captain in Kolkata on Monday (January 18), Sanjiv Goenka, the owner, said, "I welcome Dhoni as the captain of Rising Pune Supergiants for the 2016 season.

"He has always been a phenomenal leader for teams that he has represented including the Indian side. His track record in both domestic and International arenas have been remarkable. I firmly believe he will lead our team extremely well on and off the field."

But why then was Dhoni named captain only for one season? "Right now the focus is only on 2016 and the team building. That's why we named Dhoni as the captain."

Dhoni will lead a troop of superstars that will include Steve Smith, the Australian captain, Faf du Plessis, South Africa's Twenty20 International captain, along with Ajinkya Rahane and R Ashwin. However, Goenka believed that too many leaders won't cause "friction".

"Practically we hope there will be complete harmony in the team. The likes of MS, Steve Smith and Faf du Plessis are seasoned leaders. I don't think there will be any chance of a friction in the team," he said.

The chairman of the RP Sanjiv Goenka Group also stressed on the fact that Sourav Ganguly, Atletico de Kolkata's co-owner along with him, will not be involved in the IPL team or its functioning.