Dhoni & Super Kings can’t wait to sizzle in the UAE heat

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  • Captain fantastic: Dhoni will lead the Super Kings in their bid for a third IPL title.

    Chennai Super Kings captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni cannot wait to get the UAE leg of the Indian Premier League season under way.

    The start of the elite Twenty20 competition is being played in the Emirates for the first time because of disruption caused by the Indian general election.

    From April 16-30, many of the sport's greatest players will be showcasing their explosive talent throughout the country to packed stadiums.

    Speaking at the announcement of UST Global's new three-year sponsorship with his franchise, India captain Dhoni declared he was looking to put on a show when Chennai play their first match on Friday against Kings XI Punjab in Abu Dhabi.

    He said: "It is good to come back here and play cricket. The last time we played was quite a few years back (in 2006), when we played here for the earthquake victims.

    "The weather will be hot, we cannot do much about it. Hopefully, we will look to entertain all the spectators out here.

    "The sales of the tickets have been good, which means it will be good for all of us as a cricket team and the spectators.

    "We are here for 15 or 20 days, so let's make the most of it."

    Chennai begin the tournament under a cloud, because of a corruption investigation that has seen India's Supreme Court lift an initial call for the suspension of the team along with the Rajasthan Royals.

    Coach Stephen Fleming insists his focus has been on making sure the off-field distractions do not unsettle his players.

    He said: "We have not got together as a group, but individually we have been watching events. They are out of our hands, obviously.

    "I am delighted to be back together. One thing I can guarantee is that when we get the group together, it is [about] the job at hand.

    "There are a lot of outside issues taking place, but when it comes to just playing attractive cricket, it is the easiest job we can do."

    Two-time champions Chennai are the most successful team in IPL history, with an outstanding record of reaching the play-offs every year since the tournament's inception in 2008.

    Defeats in the last two finals has also seen them come agonisingly close to adding a third title.

    Despite the loss of leading batsman Michael Hussey to Mumbai, Dhoni believes the retention of star players such as Suresh Raina, Dwayne Bravo and Ravichandran Ashwin means his side are in excellent condition for the upcoming campaign.

    "The good thing is that we are a side that has not had too many changes," said the 32-year-old, who has scored more than 2,200 runs in 96 games for CSK.

    "We tried to retain as many players as possible, in the first option and in the second option [stages of the IPL auction].

    "There are some things in cricket related to money in auctions that become difficult. If you have good players, then some other teams want them.

    "We tried to retain as many players as possible, and that is a good thing for us."

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