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From being the second-worst team in Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 to becoming the second-best in 2023, the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) returned to their vintage self in the ongoing edition of the cash-rich tournament. Several heroes have been behind the revival of the second most successful franchise in IPL history but none bigger than the poster boy and captain, MS Dhoni. One of the greatest leaders of all time has used the resources at his disposal in flawless fashion while his tactics and shrewd strategies have made the Men in Yellow one of the teams to beat this season.
Four-time champions Chennai Super Kings finished in second in the points table with 17 points in their bag after winning eight out of the 14 matches they played.
CSK all-rounder Moeen Ali, who has been playing under Dhoni for the last three IPL seasons, beautifully explained what makes the wicketkeeper-batter a transcendent leader. The England leader highlighted Dhoni's ability to instill confidence in players at a time when they are not performing well and sticking with the same players for a longer period of time.
"I think the captain is very important and he obviously has been very important. At the end of the day, the youngsters have to bowl the ball. Those guys have probably played more than they expected to play. They start with injuries and they have taken their chances amazingly well," Moeen was quoted as saying.
"In a good team, the competition is high. There are people always fighting for places. So, what happens is you take that responsibility and you want to take your chance. And these chances don't come very often. So that mindset changes from the player that right 'I need to take my chance'. But saying that, you need the captain to really speak to the players and the bowling coaches. And that's where CSK is very special, because that's what they do and they give these guys confidence.
"What separates MS from everybody else as captain in many ways is that, say guys have a couple of bad games, especially in the first couple of games, and I think every other team would drop the player or say 'look you are probably not good enough right now'. And that's where MS sees things and coaches see things in players. They see the potential and give them chances. Most teams don't do that. Most teams don't stick with the players long," Moeen added.
Under Dhoni's leadership, players like right-arm fast bowler Tushar Deshpande and explosive batter Shivam Dube have evolved to become genuine match-winners for the Super Kings.
CSK will be up against Gujarat Titans in Qualifier 1 on May 23 (Tuesday) at MA Chidambaram Stadium.
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