CSK Oozes Consistency And Loyalty - N Srinivasan Explains Why The Franchise Stuck With MS Dhoni For IPL 2021
Published - 13 Mar 2021, 01:58 PM | Updated - 23 Aug 2024, 12:42 AM
Chennai Super Kings owner N Srinivasan spoke about their bond with captain MS Dhoni and why they have persisted with him for the upcoming 14th edition of the IPL despite Dhoni retiring from international cricket last year.
MS Dhoni announced his retirement from the national colours in August last year, but his last game was in the 2019 World Cup – the semi-final against New Zealand. The wicket-keeper batsman also doesn’t play for Jharkhand in domestic cricket.
While ‘Thala’ himself had confirmed in the last league game, against Kings XI Punjab, of IPL 2020, that he will continue to lead the franchise for another year, it is now Srinivasan who throws his support for the skipper.
MS Dhoni is a very determined person and that is what we like: N Srinivasan
Srinivasan says that they have been running cricket for the past 50 years, much before the IPL began. The 76-year-old asserts that ‘consistency’ and ‘loyalty’ have been the key attributes in their business of employing people on and off the field.
Srinivasan also gives a tight refute to people who have been questioning MS Dhoni’s commitment to cricket after retiring from international cricket by revealing that the skipper is training hard in the indoor nets and the ground as well for the IPL 2021.
As quoted by India Today, N Srinivasan said, “For your information MS Dhoni is in Chennai. He takes his cricket so seriously, he is practicing in morning in the indoor nets and in the afternoon he is practicing at Chepauk.
“He is a very determined person and that is what we like. One more thing, Cricket is about winning, IPL is about winning but there are also things such as consistency and loyalty and I think that is what oozes out of us.
“We are in cricket for last 50 years, we started in early 60s, almost the entire Tamil Nadu Ranji team was employed by us. So we have been in cricket for a long time, we have been running teams, we have a true appreciation and a good appreciation of good cricket,” he added.
Barring a couple of seasons in 2016 and 2017, when the franchise was banned, MS Dhoni has led CSK from the inception of the IPL. He has captained the team to 3 IPL titles and 10 playoffs out of 11 seasons – it was only last year when the Yellow Army failed to qualify in the top 4.
Dhoni, 39, could perhaps be playing his last IPL season when he takes the field on 10th April against Delhi Capitals at the Wankhede.
