Year after year, Chennai Super Kings continue to perform at the highest level of the Indian Premier League, qualifying for playoffs more often than not. CSK might not have the best group of players every season, but they often manage to get the best out of them. Players like Shane Watson, Shivam Dube, Moeen Ali, etc. have done wonders for the Super Kings after failing to create an impact in other IPL franchises. While many have mulled on the positive change in such players, former India cricketer Navjot Singh Sidhu perfectly explained the reason behind this change, giving the due credit to MS Dhoni and CSK.
In a chat on Star Sports, Sidhu came across various questions, ranging from MS Dhoni’s batting position to the role CSK play in uplifting the form of a player.
When asked about the promotion of youngster Sameer Rizvi over MS Dhoni in the finisher’s role, Sidhu said that the franchise was right to put the uncapped Indian player higher in the batting order.
“Talent is nothing without opportunity. You have to give youngsters opportunity. One is giving opportunity and the other thing is the player accepting the challenge. You have got to give Rizvi that confidence,” Sidhu said.
“The same player isn’t that strong in the other team, but when he comes to Dhoni, he becomes a completely different player, how? Because a good leader is the one who walks behind him and ignites faith,” Sidhu further said.
Delving into the depth of Dhoni’s arsenal of talent, Sidhu described how the CSK ‘finisher’ has been working to build another ‘finisher’ for the future.
“A drop of honey catches more flies than a gallon of vinegar. So, therefore, fitting people in their rightful place is what is most important. Dhoni is an asset, when he bats and finishes. Jadeja and Dhoni, one plus one is 11. They are multiplying their strength. Dhoni has nothing to prove. The biggest strength of a leader is that he builds future leaders. He will actually unlock potential for the youngsters.”
“The bigger challenge is not batting at No. 3 or No. 4, the bigger challenge is when you bat for the last six overs, the last 7 overs. That is the time when you are really tested, why? That’s when you are going to be scoring 1 ball, 3 runs. 1 ball, 2 and a half. This skill is in a very few people. I am telling you, it’s not easy to be a finisher. You are not getting accolades, but it’s the quality of those runs, which actually helps the team win or lose,” Sidhu said.
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