Virender Sehwag says he is happy MS Dhoni is no more Rising Pune Supergiants skipper – Here's why!

Rising Pune Supergiants made their IPL debut last season along with another franchise Gujarat Lions following the suspension of Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals.

New Delhi: Days after former Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni was replaced as the Rising Pune Supergiants (RPS) skipper by Steve Smith, former Indian cricketer Virender Sehwag said he is happy that Mahi will no more lead the Pune franchise in Indian Premier League (IPL).

Sehwag, who was recently named Kings XI Punjab’s head of cricket operations ahead of tenth edition, also gave an interesting logic behind saying so.

“I am happy that he isn’t captain because maybe now my team, Kings XI Punjab, can beat this Pune team,” said Sehwag, while speaking at a session in ‘SporTale’, a sports-themed literary festival.

While the RPS think tank thought Smith would be a better skipper, Sehwag hailed Dhoni as one of India's best captains till date.

“On a serious note, I believe that this is an internal decision of the franchise but he is one of the best ever captains India has ever had,” added Sehwag.

Earlier, RPS owner Sanjiv Goenka explained the reason behind removing Dhoni as the skipper of the franchise.

"Dhoni has not stepped down. We have appointed Steve Smith as the skipper for the upcoming season. Frankly speaking, we did not have a good last season and we wanted someone young to lead the side and revamp it ahead of the upcoming season 10," Goenka was quoted as saying by PTI.

RPS made their IPL debut last season along with another franchise Gujarat Lions following the suspension of Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals.

Pune had a forgettable first season, where they finished seventh in the points table. Under Dhoni's captaincy, the team managed to win just five of their 14 matches.