CSK captain MS Dhoni (Photo – Sportzpics)
Badrinath said Dhoni’s plan was to be disciplined in the fielding department and save runs while defending a target less than the target to create difficulties for the opposition.
Former India batsman Subramaniam Badrinath went down memory lane and remembered the team when Chennai Super Kings won their maiden IPL title in 2010. Mahendra Singh Dhoni led the team to title victory with a win over Mumbai Indians in the summit clash. Badrinath, who was part of CSK’s title-winning set-up, revealed how Dhoni instilled belief in the team when they had a below-par target to defend.
The legendary wicket-keeper batsman was known for his tactical brilliance as a captain, which made him one of the most influential captains in the history of cricket. He is the only captain in world cricket to have won all the three ICC trophies (white ball format) – T20 World Cup, ODI World Cup and Champions Trophy. While he also led CSK to four IPL titles.
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Badrinath said Dhoni’s plan was to be disciplined in the fielding department and save runs while defending a target less than the target to create difficulties for the opposition.
“Every time there was an equal total, and not so much, he said only one thing; Let’s try and save a run each. If we save one run each, we can make the score 10 runs extra. That was going to be the difference, because they were in our control. There will be wickets, but small things; If everyone is trying to save a run then the score gets a little extra.
The former batsman revealed that Dhoni asked the players to keep an eye on him while fielding as he made some minor adjustments on the field on a regular basis which worked in CSK’s favour.
“He says to everyone, please keep watching me. Because that last minute adjustment, that two yards left or right could be the difference between a catch and a drop. This has happened many times. It is important that we stay connected with the game and try to stay involved. Each ball is an event, and we complete the event and move on to the next event. That’s how he addresses every ball. He assures that the field is right, the bowler is right,” Badrinath told Star Sports in response to a question about Dhoni’s interaction with the team in the 2010 final.
