Calcutta: Mahendra Singh Dhoni was, on Monday, confirmed as captain of the RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group-owned IPL franchise, which has been named Rising Pune Supergiants, for the upcoming season.

Unveiling the team logo, Goenka said: "I welcome Dhoni as captain of Rising Pune Supergiants for the 2016 season. He has always been a phenomenal leader... 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."

Goenka said a lot of thought has gone into naming the franchise. "We've chosen it after lot of thought, deliberation and planning. Pune is famous for its grit, determination and courage. It depicts the heights of excellence the team aspires to achieve," explained Goenka.

Asked why Dhoni was named captain only for one season, he said: "Right now, the focus is only on 2016 and team building. That's why we named Dhoni as the captain. It's a new team and we need to get our act right... Get things going smoothly."

Dhoni will lead a star-studded side that includes Australia captain Steve Smith, South Africa's T20 captain Faf du Plessis, along with the India duo of Ajinkya Rahane and Ravichandran Ashwin. Goenka insisted there will be no friction, given the presence of two other captains in the team.

"Practically, we hope there will be complete harmony in the side. The likes of MS, Smith and Faf are seasoned leaders. I don't think there will be any chance of friction in the team," he said. "Yes, we have three captains, and all are outstanding leaders... But we felt Dhoni was the best choice as captain."

Asked whether Australia's Michael Hussey, another former member of the Chennai Super Kings, will also come on board, Goenka said: "This is not CSK. Just because someone was with the CSK, doesn't mean he will be here as well.

"We are a new team. We don't want to put forward any excuse about lack of experience on the field. We have to do what we have to do and we are confident of doing well."

Goenka, however, didn't wish to say anything on whether Dhoni's opinion was taken in choosing Stephen Fleming as coach and vice versa. "That's something we wouldn't like to share with anyone," said Goenka.

Goenka also reiterated that former India cricket captain and co-owner of ISL football franchise Atletico de Kolkata, Sourav Ganguly, had no role in his IPL franchise. "Sourav has no involvement in this team."

On Sourav's conflict of interest issue, Goenka said: "That's not for me to react... It's for the Board of Control for Cricket in India's ombudsman to react."

Raghu Iyer, former chief executive of Rajasthan Royals, has been roped in as CEO of the RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group's sports vertical.