New Delhi, Sep 6: Chennai Super Kings (CSK) has been one of the most successful franchises in the history of the Indian Premier League and one of the biggest reasons for that has been the inspirational leadership of Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

The 39-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman is once again set to lead the Yellow Army in the upcoming season of the IPL, scheduled to start September 19 in the United Arab Emirates. The tournament has been shifted to the UAE due to the increase in the COVID-19 cases in India.

However, it remains to be seen how long MS Dhoni - who is one of the greatest limited-overs captains of all time - is going to lead the Chennai-based franchise in the IPL. Dhoni has already quit international cricket and the fans will no longer see him in the India Blue.

However, if CSK all-rounder Dwayne Bravo is to be believed then Dhoni has already started thinking about who is going to be his heir at CSK once he decides to bid adieu to the IPL. Bravo revealed that the thought of CSK's future captain is already at the back of Dhoni's mind for quite some time now.

Bravo claimed Suresh Raina, who leads the team in Dhoni's absence and has been a part of the franchise since inception or someone younger who can lead the team in the coming years, could be the probable candidates.

When asked about Dhoni's successor at CSK, Bravo told ABP News: "I know it's been in the back of his mind for some time, I mean all of us have to step aside at some point of time. It's just the matter of when... when to step aside and hand it over to whether it's a Raina or someone younger."

Dhoni announced his retirement from international cricket on August 15, ending speculations if he would again wear the India jersey.

Bravo also stated that the current CSK skipper will now be much relieved with the pressure off his back after retiring from international cricket but his captaincy won't change much.

"He doesn't have to worry about a billion people now, it's just CSK the franchise but I don't think that'll change the person he is, won't he change how leads the team, definitely he'll be the same person," Bravo added further.