MS Dhoni holds immense significance for Chennai and CSK. Since 2008, beyond his exceptional skills, his connection with the local population has made him a revered icon.
Suresh Raina, now an IPL Expert on JioCinema and a long-time CSK teammate and confidant of Dhoni; and someone who is often referred to as ‘Chinna Thala’ (Deputy Leader) to ‘Thala’ Dhoni, speaks exclusively to CricketNext about what makes the 41-year-old such an iconic figure for the people of this city, his work ethic and desire to give back to Tamil Nadu cricket.
Excerpts:
MS Dhoni, what does he mean to the people of Chennai and to CSK?
I think the emotion of CSK has been there (with the Chennai fans) ever since 2008. MS Dhoni has been playing for the team since 2008. And the quality of his game, I think, the whole package really, that in a way the whole of Tamil Nadu accepted, accepted him as their own local player. So I would say in a way, he has got support as well from the administration and the support staff, he is steeped in the culture of Tamil Nadu, and it’s been brilliant.
You yourself have played so many years with the CSK. You are considered a legend in this part of the world. You’ve been called ‘Chinna Thala’ and he’s been the ‘Thala’. So why do you think the people of Chennai have embraced him that way? Yes, the skills and achievements are there for everyone to see, but what apart from that?
I would say the knowledge of the crowd, they really accepted us. And the number of matches we played, you see, apart from Mumbai, we are the second most popular team when it comes to winning the cup. And the locals have been always there for us. And I think he’s been amazing with the team. He’s been amazing with the local players; the way he’s been at various phases of the team. He never gave up. Whenever he’s in a tough situation, he always wanted to deliver in crunch situations. That’s what has been amazing and it is all about that.
And you are now watching the game as a commentator. How does it feel for you to watch MSD play? There have been talks about if this will be his last season or not. And for you, what are the emotions? Commenting on games of CSK now…
I think it’s been amazing watching him play. And at the same time, I was part of the CSK for a long, long time, and good to see a lot of young talent like Shivam Dube, and Ruturaj (Gaikwad) come up. Devon Conway, Ajinkya Rahane are doing well, and (Ravindra) Jadeja has been the real master of performing under pressure.
Then you’ve seen Deepak Chahar, (Matheesha) Pathirana, and (Maheesh) Theekshana, also chipping in. Everyone is doing really well. We have reached playoffs now. I think he has been leading the team really well. That always is important. And having him around the ground, I think has been always a pleasure to see. If you see every ground he’s been playing, a lot of yellow colour is coming to support him, to support his team. I think that’s what MS Dhoni the brand is like. I think that’s what IPL feel is all about.
You talked about the young talents and Tushar Deshpande, Dube, probably have been the shining stars so far for CSK. What sets Dhoni apart from all the other captains, that he is able to maximize these talents. What is that extra quality that you have probably seen over the years?
I think he always gives chances, not like one game or two. You must have seen Shane Watson and others. He gives a lot of chances (to players) in IPL. In a tournament like IPL, you need to give a fair amount of chances and that’s what was done with Shivam Dube and you got to see what he has done. Ajinkya Rahane was not in the picture for the last two years. Now he’s back in the WTC. If you talk about Tushar Deshpande, he’s the highest wicket-taker for CSK (this season).
At the same time, look at Pathirana, he’s the new (Lasith) Malinga for Sri Lanka now. Again, Theekshana also has done so well. If you see Conway, I think he has battled really well. I’ve never seen a foreigner playing so well in Chennai wickets. That’s what Michael Hussey used to do for us. Matthew Hayden used to do that for us. Now Conway is doing for us. I think that’s good.
Dhoni has been leading the team really well. He’s an astute leader and he knows how to deliver, and whenever we face the toughest of times, he will never give up at any given time. That’s what MS Dhoni is, and that’s what makes him biggest captain of all time. That’s why he’s been handling such pressure in a very calm manner. That’s why every player in the world wants to play under Dhoni.
You’ve been with Dhoni for so long. What are the changes that you’ve seen in him over the years? And I ask you this because Matthew Hayden in one of his interviews said that his humour is childlike. He has a very cheeky sense of humour that people don’t often see. Is it true and is he still the same that way?
He’s still the same. He’s a very good person to be with. I think he’s been cracking a lot of jokes. He’s such a nice guy. Apart from cricket, I think if you see his life is very simple. He’s been enjoying his life in this tournament. He was hitting right from the ball one. Whenever he comes, he’s the most consistent batter at no. 7 or 8 and in the 19th, 20th over. I think he’s been handling these kinds of pressures really for a long. That’s what CSK is all about.
Do you think Dhoni has set a template for aging superstars, the way he has been operating in IPL 2023? He has a well-defined role, and comes in very late, hitting those boundaries and sixes in the last two-three overs. This works out perfectly since Impact player has been introduced. You have any thoughts on that?
I think he’s worked really hard, even before he came for preparatory camps (before IPL 2023). Then later on if you see his hard work, he’s been handling the game really, really well and spending a lot of time in the middle with the team. It’s not easy to perform in Chennai because of the humidity, weather is so difficult (to adapt to). I think that’s what his cricket is all about. That’s why he wants to give back to Tamil Nadu cricket and its fans. That’s what he had said earlier as well. Now he’s back with a bang. He’s going to play in the playoffs. Hopefully, they will do well and then move to the final.
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