Chennai Super Kings have qualified for IPL playoffs every single season. This year, they are virtually through as well having already acquired the 16 points that are generally enough to make it to the next stage. And while there are very few certainties in life, and less so in sport, there was a certain inevitability to it.
Very few teams have ‘owned’ a tournament brand the way CSK have done in the IPL. So deeply entrenched is the yellow of CSK in the minds of even casual cricket fans, the two years that Chennai were forced away from the league following the spot fixing scandal during 2016/17 seems already consigned to the history books. Chennai are winning and it’s what matters it seems.
After the Super Kings registered their eighth win of the 2019 season against Sunrisers Hyderabad, super skipper MS Dhoni was asked, during the post match presentation, the reason behind Chennai’s continued success under his leadership. “If I tell everyone what it is, then they won’t buy me at the auctions. It’s a trade secret,” Dhoni replied.
Well, it isn’t much of a secret, is it? The secret behind their success is Dhoni himself.
The veteran keeper is at his best in the T20 format. The length of the innings, the agility required as a captain, plus the importance of reliable rather than spectacular players makes it the prefect format for Dhoni. He is good elsewhere but a class apart in 20 overs.
EXPERIENCE MATTERS
Dhoni knows what he likes and backs the players he is comfortably with to the hilt. It comes as no surprise that Dhoni has kept the core of the Super Kings team – namely Suresh Raina, Ravindra Jadeja, Dwayne Bravo – with him. Also, he has identified veteran performers who aren’t flashy but are mighty effective.
In 2015 – when CSK made it to the final before their two-year suspension – they had genuine oldies in Dwayne Smith, Mike Hussey and Ashish Nehra in the playing XI. Now they have the ageing/ed Imran Tahir, Shane Watson and Bravo in the mix. All three are central to Dhoni’s plan of having experienced players assessing the conditions and doing just enough to take the team past the finish line.
After the win against Hyderabad, opener Watson – who had been having a poor season before hitting 96 against Sunrisers – thanked Dhoni for backing him when other teams would have long dropped him.
Dhoni is one of the very few who realises that having a maverick hitter like Andre Russell in the team is of no use if the team loses five matches in a row – as has been the case with KKR. There is no power hitter in the CSK side, nor do they have a quality second seamer. Just a bunch of experienced heads either scoring one run more than the opposition or restricting them to one less.
Then there is the emotion. Dhoni clearly holds CSK closer to his heart than some other aspects of his cricket. His former India team-mate Virender Sehwag recently alluded to it when discussing the incredible moment in the match against Rajasthan Royals when Dhoni entered the playing field to argue with the umpires over a no-ball call. “I never saw him so angry while playing for India. He is very emotional for Chennai,” Sehwag had said.
Back in 2010, Chennai were having a below average campaign. In their clash against Kings XI Punjab, Chennai needed 30 off the last two overs. The usually cool Dhoni hit Irfan Pathan for 16 off the final over, let out a roar and banged the side of his helmet with his glove.
Have you ever seen Dhoni crying?? Watch out here ❤❤ The name is CHENNAI SUPER KINGS 💛💛 pic.twitter.com/cPNrppwTZg
— Ramkumar (@RamVJ2412) March 29, 2018
In 2018, when the Super Kings franchise returned to the IPL fold, an emotional Dhoni almost broke into tears while addressing the media.
Maybe it’s because of the unprecedented adulation the city has given to its most famous adopted son; CSK’s training games are viewed by a full house at the Chepauk. Maybe it’s due to the complete freedom he enjoys as the undisputed leader of CSK as opposed to his harrowing stint as Rising Pune Super Giant captain which ended up with him being publicly sacked by the team owner.
The reasons are many. But the bottomline is CSK’s success as a playing group starts and ends with Dhoni.
