Once upon a time, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) earned the humorous nickname of ‘The Dad’s Army’, especially when they made their comeback in 2018 after serving a two-year suspension. Most of their core team members are in their 30s and some are approaching their 40s—such as Dwayne Bravo, Shane Watson, Imran Tahir, Suresh Raina, Faf du Plessis and the legendary Dhoni—the team’s age a theme It was a joke However, the latter events are widely known and well documented. CSK overcame the odds and reclaimed the championship trophy, firmly establishing their dominance in the hearts of CSK fans.
In IPL 2023, there was a change in the CSK lineup as all the players mentioned earlier except Dhoni were no longer a part of the team. However, this did not diminish the team’s ability to win matches and earn the affection of the fans. With Dhoni assuming the role of ‘Dronacharya’ for aspiring cricketers, the Chennai dressing room has turned into a Gurukul of sorts. Rising stars like Ravindra Jadeja and Ajinkya Rahane are also being groomed to carry forward the legacy of the legendary captain, perhaps even earlier than expected.
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The process of nurturing the next generation began with the investment in Tushar Deshpande, making him the first impact player in IPL history. But it turned out to be rough. Giving away too many runs, having no control over wides and no-balls, not being able to control their line and length – these were the major setbacks CSK suffered as they bounced back from the early stages of the tournament. But Dhoni is a storehouse of patience. He can issue warnings to step down as leader but he is a firm believer in giving time to a player.
It also saw the meteoric rise of Tushar Deshpande once CSK returned to winning ways. From being the most expensive bowler of the season to being the opener for CSK purple cap Season-Mumbai bowlers have blossomed in yellow.
Former CSK star Suresh Raina believes Deshpande’s development is commendable and the way he has mastered his yorkers, the credit goes to Bravo who has been associated with the franchise as the bowling coach.
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JioCinema’s IPL expert Raina responds to News18 in a select media interaction Cricket a>xt raised questions on Tushar and said,[He has a] Excellent action, he bowls close to the stumps, he has worked the yorker and I think all the plans have been executed well. And the credit goes to bowling coach Dwayne Bravo. And I haven’t seen so many good yorkers during my stint with CSK.”
Nicknamed Mr IPL, Raina recalled how important yorkers were in Bravo’s bowling arsenal. Tusshar seems to have been given the same and the results are astonishing.
Bravo believed that I would bluff the batsman if not the yorker. I think it is the same with Tushar. He has pace, variety, swing, bounce and his biggest strength is bowling yorkers while executing them under pressure. Kudos to your faith, confidence, mindset.
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“And I think Mahi [MS Dhoni] Using it well. The way he dismissed Green in the last game or the way he dismissed Rohit Sharma earlier at Wankhede, that was the proper length of cricket. He has impressed a lot,” said Raina.
CSK – a force to be reckoned with
The last few seasons have seen a pattern in CSK’s overall performance. If he has had a bad season, the next comeback should be a blockbuster. He was the first player to be dropped in 2020 and 2022. But in 2021, they lift the trophy for the fourth time and this year, they are on their way to equal Mumbai Indians’ record of 5 titles.
Talking about the logic behind the stupendous comeback, Raina said that it is because the team has the best domestic players, and after every failure, they work hard to rectify the weaknesses.
They have the best homegrown players and that is a plus point. Earlier Murali Vijay, Badrinath, Ashwin, myself, Jadeja and Dhoni himself were there. The team now has Ruturaj, Dubey, Deshpande and others. So when there are good domestic players, they work together and get positive results,” Raina told CricketNext.
“It makes the job easier for a franchise after a bad season to identify weak areas. And they work hard at it and come back strong. MI, the most successful team, runs on the same formula. Hence, it is important to back good domestic players and the rest takes practice,” he concluded.
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