MS Dhoni has claimed the Chennai Super Kings captaincy "burdened" Ravindra Jadeja and "affected his mind" after a period of "spoon-feeding" in a brutal assessment of his team-mate.

Long-serving CSK skipper Dhoni stepped aside on the eve of the 2022 IPL season for Jadeja to take charge.

But after a miserable start to the tournament, losing six of their first eight matches, CSK reinstated Dhoni this weekend.

That move paid off in a 13-run win over Sunrisers Hyderabad, and Dhoni has now explained why Jadeja was not cut out for the captaincy – even if he suggested the appointment was not a surprise to the all-rounder.

"I think Jadeja knew last season that he would be captaining this year," Dhoni told Star Sports.

"For the first two games, I simply oversaw his work and let him be later. After that, I insisted that he take his own decisions and bear responsibility for them.

"Once you become captain, it means a lot of demands come in. But it affected his mind as the tasks grew. I think captaincy burdened his prep and performances.

"So it was a gradual transition. Spoon-feeding doesn't really help the captain; on the field you have to take those crucial decisions and you have to take responsibility for those decisions.

"Once you become the captain, we have to take care of many things and that also includes your own game."