MS Dhoni. Photo- CSK Twitter
MS Dhoni. Photo- CSK Twitter

Former Indian cricketer Nikhil Chopra lavished praise on Chennai Super Kings (CSK) iconic skipper MS Dhoni for his steward leadership which is the reason behind the franchise’s success in the IPL.

Dhoni has led CSK in 213 IPL matches since the inception of the lucrative tournament in 2008, he is the only captain who is still leading the Yellow Army whereas other teams have seen many changes in terms of leadership roles.

MS Dhoni’s astute leadership for CSK

Dhoni’s success with CSK doesn’t require too much description as they have appeared in nine IPL finals out of 12 seasons they played in the tournament and bagged four titles. Suresh Raina is the only other player to have led the Chennai outfit in six IPL matches during Dhoni’s absence from the team.

MS Dhoni and Chennai Super Kings. Photo- BCCI
MS Dhoni and Chennai Super Kings. Photo- BCCI

MS Dhoni always had the edge to get the best out of his players: Nikhil Chopra

Dhoni is admired across the globe for his calm and composed style on the pitch, even when the team is under extreme pressure, the ‘captain cool’ has an invisible ice pack on his head. Chopra said that many players have groomed under Dhoni and he is the secret for CSK’s massive success in IPL.

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“A captain is only as good as his team. But MS Dhoni always had the edge to get the best out of his players. If you have a calm captain and he has the man motivational skills then that is very important and I think Rohit Sharma learnt the same from Dhoni. The secret for CSK’s success is definitely their captain MS Dhoni,” Chopra said on YouTube Podcast ‘Khelneeti’. 

Nikhil Chopra
Nikhil Chopra. Credits: Twitter

“When you give a captain responsibility, all the decision-making lies with him. Too many cooks spoil the broth. All the cricket decisions and which player is needed for which role is given to Dhoni.

“For instance, look at how he makes use of Deepak Chahar in the powerplay. There are so many players whose careers have blossomed under Dhoni,” he added. 

Dhoni is all set to lead CSK in the 15th edition of IPL and the defending champions will take on fellow finalists of IPL 2021, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), on March 26 at the Wankhede stadium in Mumbai.

Also Read: If Ever In Need In Life I’ll Be The First One Standing Next To MS Dhoni – Gautam Gambhir