News Analysis India

Tag: IPL 2022

  • IPL 2022: After firing blanks in last three seasons, Rajasthan Royals now quietly confident

    Express News Service

    CHENNAI: On Sunday afternoon, Rajasthan Royals captain Sanju Samson, on his Instagram handle, uploaded a photo with his new teammates Ravichandran Ashwin, Yuzvendra Chahal and their development & performance director Zubin Bharucha in their team bus with a caption that read: “D Back Benchers” with a smiling emoji.

    It was perhaps a fitting description of where the team stood at the end of the last three seasons. Seventh in 2019, eighth in 2020 and seventh in 2021. Barring the last season, going into their last league match, they were in with a chance to make it to the play-offs stage. Invariably, they fell short each time. In the 2018 season, when they made a comeback after a two-year suspension, they made it to the play-offs, but only to field a weakened team after Jos Buttler and Ben Stokes left for national duty. That is the closest they have come to a title since their return.

    This year they have learnt from their past mistakes and managed to put together a balanced squad on paper. For a team that was overly reliant on overseas players, they now have a strong Indian core in Samson, Ashwin, Chahal, Devdutt Padikkal, Prasidh Krishna and Yashasvi Jaiswal to complement Jos Buttler, Trent Boult, Shimon Hetmyer and Nathan Coulter-Nile who are expected to be their first-choice overseas players in the XI. That makes for a strong team with one among Karun Nair and Riyan Parag in contention for the one remaining slot.

    Ahead of the first match against Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Maharashtra Cricket Association stadium in Pune, it came as no surprise that Samson sounded bullish. “We definitely had a lot of learning from the last 2-3 seasons. We discussed and worked on a few options and we got a really very good team in the auction. Our main focus is to get together as soon as possible. We have a different squad this time, some new members in the team, so it is important to come together and understand your teammates,” Samson said.

    Rajasthan, thanks to some of their picks, have been able to blend a good mix of Indian and overseas players. With a top-five consisting of Padikkal, Jaiswal, Buttler, Samson and Hetmyer, they have enough ammunition to annihilate any team with the bat.

    With the exception of Padikkal, who is a lot more text-book oriented, the rest have the wherewithal that is suited to T20, and one which will allow Royals to bat in the top gear at all times if required. In a way, the batting unit complements the style of play their captain Samson plays. On odd days they can fire duds, but if they click, they would be hard to stop, especially given the left-right combination.

    “I think this format has to be played with a fearless mindset and that sort of characters are there in this team this year. So we would just like to go out there and express ourselves. You can’t have second thoughts in this format and there is a reason why everyone loves this format because you have the freedom to go out and enjoy the batting. So we will be doing the same,” Samson said.

    With Boult to cause damage with the new ball and Prasidh and Coutler-Nile in the mix and two quality spinners in Ashwin and Chahal, Samson also has variety with the ball. The need for a sixth bowling option may see them go for Garg over Karun. “We have a lot of Indian and international strength in our team. It’s a very long tournament. We need to understand the mindset and the fitness and form of all players. But we have enough options to play around,” Samson said.

  • IPL: Mumbai get Capital punishment from Kuldeep Yadav

    Express News Service

    CHENNAI: Kuldeep Yadav had a wide smile on his face. There was a noticeable purpose in the way he walked, his celebrations had the air of a man who was enjoying life, like an unleashed golden retriever out on its evening run in the neighbourhood park.

    By the time he was done with his quota of four overs — the first time he has bowled out in the Indian Premier League since September  2020 — Mumbai Indians had been pegged back. A confident start (53/0 from six overs) had made way to a muddle in the middle overs (123/4 after 16) largely thanks to the wrist-spinner’s guile on a surface made tailor-made for trusting the bounce and hitting through the line, aka good batting wicket. His 3/18 (eight dots, zero boundaries) enabled Rishabh Pant to control the flow of runs after the initial onslaught. That Kuldeep also managed to tie down Ishan Kishan, who finished with an unbeaten 81 off 48, was proof of the work he was doing behind the scenes. He admitted as much after the innings.

    “Very happy,” he told the host broadcaster. “I have been talking to Ricky (Ponting, Delhi Capitals coach) regarding the length of the ball in T20s. I did the same with Rohit (Sharma) with the India side. It just depended on the rhythm. The wicket was good, and it didn’t help me. The length has to be good to not allow the batters the time to hit. I varied my length and pace.”

    For his wonderful show with the ball, Kuldeep Yadav is the Player of the matchWell bowled @imkuldeep18#TATAIPL | #DCvMI pic.twitter.com/MEjZQ3b2I9
    — IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) March 27, 2022
    When there’s nothing in the strip for spinners, those become big weapons for the spinners. A confident spinner relies on those subtle variations — changes in pace, using the crease and varying the length — to outfox batters. On Sunday at Brabourne Stadium, the tweaker exhibited his range in picking at least two of his three wickets. For Rohit Sharma, he didn’t push it through, asking the opener to manufacture power to clear the field which he failed. Against Anmolpreet Singh, it was full with a lot of air. The batter accepted the invitation but couldn’t clear long-off. Kieron Pollard will be disappointed with the way he fell because it was almost a long hop but you make your own luck in sport and Kuldeep was overdue.

    It’s fair to say Kuldeep had lost a bit of that confidence, self-belief in recent times. In 2020, he played five IPL games (12 overs, one wicket). In 2021, he warmed the bench during the India leg before being ruled out of the UAE leg thanks to a knee injury. Even though he played for the national team during this phase, the returns were not very satisfactory. Six wickets in eight games (five ODIs and three T20Is) revealed its own story.

    During the West Indies series early this year, Rohit had hinted that a fit-again Kuldeep would very much be in his plans. Even if he wasn’t trusted all that much, this team management wouldn’t be averse to rekindling an old alliance (Kuldeep with Yuzvendra Chahal). More games like Sunday will only hasten that feeling.

    Kuldeep 3/18 also had the desired effect because a total of 177 was slightly undercooked on a good surface. And that proved to be the case as Delhi romped home with 10 balls to spare.

    Brief scores: Mumbai Indians 177/5 in 20 ovs (Ishan 81 n.o, Rohit 41, Kuldeep 3/18) lost to Delhi Capitals 179/6 in 18.2 ovs (Lalit 48 n.o, Axar 38 n.o, Thampi 3/35).

  • IPL 2022: MS Dhoni steps down as CSK captain, hands over reins to Ravindra Jadeja

    By Online Desk

    MS Dhoni who has been the CSK captain from the inaugural season of the IPL in 2008 has decided to step down ahead of the 2022 edition. All-rounder Ravindra Jadeja who is with CSK since 2012 will take charge as skipper.

    ALSO READ| Jadeja is ready for CSK captaincy if Dhoni takes a break: Sunil Gavaskar

    Dhoni will, however, continue as a player. “Dhoni will continue to represent Chennai Super Kings this season and beyond,” said CSK in a statement. Jadeja will be only the third player to lead CSK after Dhoni and Suresh Raina.

    Dhoni (40) who had announced his international retirement following the 2019 World Cup, had led CSK to their fourth title last season. CSK will play KKR in the inaugural match of IPL 2022 at the Wankhede Stadium on Saturday.

  • Blow for CSK as Moeen Ali ruled out of IPL opener against KKR due to visa delay

    Express News Service

    CHENNAI: Three days ahead of their Indian Premier League (IPL) opener against Kolkata Knight Riders, Chennai Super Kings are caught in a combination deadlock. If the unavailability of Deepak Chahar because of an injury was bound to weaken their attack and affect the composition of the four overseas players, the delay in Moeen Ali’s arrival has added to the headache.

    The English all-rounder, one of Chennai’s stand-out performers in their title-winning campaign last season, is yet to join the team because he hasn’t been issued a visa yet. It is understood that a detailed verification is currently underway, which is taking more than the usual time.

    “We were expecting Moeen to join us by Monday but because of the delay in issuing a visa, it is not clear when he will leave for Mumbai. He submitted the visa application on February 28, but because of the verification process, there has been a delay. Unless he enters the bubble by Wednesday noon, it won’t be possible for him to play against Kolkata,” CSK CEO Kasi Viswanathan told The New Indian Express.

    If Ali doesn’t arrive in time, it will be interesting to see how Chennai go about their combination. Last season, batting at No 3, he provided them with some much-needed aggression in the middle overs, an area that proved to be their biggest undoing in the 2020 season. Though his absence is expected only for the game against Kolkata, it gives Chennai an option to try their other overseas picks.

    The unavailability of Chahar for at least the first half of the tournament means they need to strengthen their fast bowling resources and as a result, apart from Dwayne Bravo, Adam Milne looks certain to be in the XI. The Kiwi’s pace can be handy in the powerplay as well as in the end overs. Fellow New Zealander Devon Conway is expected to open alongside Ruturaj Gaikwad. Ali’s absence also opens the door for Robin Uthappa to slot in at No 3.

    The toss-up for the remaining one overseas slot would be between Chris Jordan and Maheesh Theekshana. With Ali unavailable, mystery spinner Theekshana could be a handy option at the Wankhede should MS Dhoni prefer a tweaker to bowl in the powerplay. In that case, one among Tushar Deshpande, KM Asif and Rajvardhan Hangargekar will get a chance. That would give Dhoni four seam bowling options in Bravo, Milne, Shivam Dube and one of the above-mentioned trio with Ravindra Jadeja and Theekshana as spinners.

    However, if Chennai wish to strengthen their pace resources further by including Jordan in place of Theekshana, then the highly-rated leg-spinner Prashant Solanki could make his IPL debut.

    Last season, one of Chennai’s biggest strengths was its batting depth. It allowed the batters to adopt a more aggressive approach. The end result was that they were amongst the highest-scoring teams in the middle-overs, something they will be keen to replicate this season too.

  • IPL 2022: Rahul Tewatia unfazed by Rs 9 crore price tag, keen to repay faith of Gujarat Titans

    Express News Service

    KOCHI: Rahul Tewatia was an in-demand cricketer during the Indian Premier League mega auction last month with teams entering into a fierce bidding war for the 28-year-old.

    The all-rounder was eventually bagged by the new IPL franchise Gujarat Titans for a hefty price of Rs 9 crore as they fought off interest from Chennai Super Kings.

    The fact that Tewatia’s base price was just Rs 40 lakh is an indication of just how highly the former Rajasthan Royals player was sought after. Tewatia says that he does not feel the pressure of the price tag as it is just an indication that teams have faith in his abilities.

    “My point of view is that, what is the point of taking pressure about these things? The team is showing belief in you and that is why they are ready to spend that kind of money on you. I don’t feel the pressure and it is just a case of trying to repay their faith. I just want to fulfill the role for which I was taken in the team and just work hard,” said Tewatia during a media interaction on Tuesday.

    The fight to sign Tewatia points to the importance that teams place on all-rounders and the Haryana cricketer knows that he will have a crucial role to play for the new franchise. “For every team, the role of an all-rounder is very crucial. Those who bat between six to eight in the order, their role is really important. Because you get very little time to make an impact which can decide matches. So it is a really important role to fulfill in the team and perform according to the situation,” he said.

    Tewatia’s most memorable knock in the IPL was the one for the Royals in Sharjah against Kings XI Punjab. The left-hander had smashed Sheldon Cottrell for five sixes in an over to steer his team to victory from the jaws of defeat.

    Tewatia hopes to produce such moments for Titans as the franchise is looking to make a mark in their maiden appearance in the T20 event.

    “Even though it is a new franchise, the players who make up the team have played a lot of IPL cricket so the team should make a good impression and hopefully do well,” said the leg spinner.

    Hardik Pandya will be leading the Gujarat outfit and there is a lot of curiosity on how the former Mumbai Indians star would fare in a captaincy role.

    “Hardik has plenty of experience in the IPL and has played a lot of cricket for India as well. He has also played under many successful captains like MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma and he will take lessons from that and bring his own inputs into the role. He should do well given the amount of cricket and experience he has under his belt,” he added.

  • Maharashtra minister Sunil Kedar ‘hopeful’ of crowds at four venues of IPL 2022 matches

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: Maharashtra Sports Minister Sunil Kedar on Saturday said he is hopeful that crowds would be allowed for the IPL matches that are set to take place in Maharashtra, starting from March 26.

    The league matches of the upcoming edition of the cash-rich tournament will be held across four venues – iconic Wankhede stadium, Cricket Club of India (Brabourne stadium), DY Patil Stadium and Maharashtra Cricket Association stadium at Gahunje in Pune.

    “I hope the way COVID-19 cases are reducing day by day, we have a free (atmosphere). We hope that when IPL matches take place, at that time the atmosphere will be such that all people will be permitted to visit the stadiums. It will be a boost to players and it will be a good opportunity where people can come together. People have been sitting in homes for one-and-half to two years, we can hope (for that),” Kedar told reporters here at a press conference.

    ALSO READ| Aaditya Thackeray visits Mumbai’s Wankhede stadium to review IPL preparations

    As many as 20 games each will be held at Wankhede and DY Patil, while 15 each will be hosted at Brabourne and Gahunje Stadium. “It is our good fortune that all the (league) matches will be held in Maharashtra, in Pune and Mumbai. Being the Sports Minister of the state, I am thankful to the BCCI. With regard to bubbles and restrictions, and also how many people will be allowed to watch the games there, all those things, we will work that out as per the international rules,” said Kedar.

    Earlier in the day Kedar’s ministerial colleague and Maharashtra Minister Aaditya Thackeray had visited the Wankhede stadium to review the preparations. “Spectators will be allowed as per guidelines set by the Maharashtra government and to start with, it will be 40 percent. If the COVID situation remains under control and cases decline, it might be full house at the business end,” said a source in the know of things.

  • IPL retentions: David Warner, Jonny Bairstow not retained by Sunrisers Hyderabad

    By ANI

    NEW DELHI: Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) has not retained star openers David Warner and Jonny Bairstow ahead of the mega auction of the upcoming season. All the eight IPL franchises will reveal the list of their retained players later today. SRH thanked all the players ahead of the event on Tuesday.

    “We thank the players for their contribution to SRH over the years. This is not a goodbye, as we hope to welcome back some Risers in the auction,” SRH captioned the post on Instagram. Commenting on the post, Warner express gratitude towards the fans and penned an emotional note confirming he won’t play for SRH in the upcoming season.

    “Thanks to all of you for your support over the years, up and downs, my family and I can’t stress enough how much we appreciated the love and passion you showed towards us and the team. Candice and I truely wish all the fans the very best for the future and hope who ever you wish to support the best. Love the Warner’s,” Warner said.

    Bairstow, the England opener, also thanked fans for the support during his stint with SRH. “Thank you all for your support! Hopefully at some point our paths cross again in the future,” Bairstow commented on the post.

    The two new Indian Premier League (IPL) franchises — Lucknow and Ahmedabad were allotted a budget of Rs 33 crore to pick three players who go back into the pool before the mega auction begins.

    In the mail sent by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to all the franchises, which had been accessed by ANI, the rules were formally conveyed and the salary purse for all the teams was set at Rs 90 crore.

    The amount is an increase from the IPL 2021 auction as then the purse was of Rs 85 crore. The eight existing franchises (CSK, KKR, RCB, Mumbai Indians, Delhi Capitals, Rajasthan Royals, Punjab Kings and SunRisers Hyderabad) have been allowed to retain up to four players.

    The BCCI had set the retention window for the eight older franchises from November 1-30, and the window for Lucknow and Ahmedabad is from December 1-25.

    If one of the eight existing franchises decides to retain four players, then they will be debited Rs 16 crore for the first player, Rs 12 crore for the second player, Rs 8 crore for the third player, and Rs 6 crore for the fourth player and the total deduction will be 42 crore.

    For the eight franchises, rules have been set that they cannot retain more than three Indians (capped/uncapped). They cannot retain more than two overseas players and not more than two uncapped Indian players.

    For the two new franchises — Lucknow and Ahmedabad — they cannot pick more than two Indian players (capped/uncapped). They cannot pick more than one overseas player and more than one Indian uncapped player.

  • IPL 2022: BCCI sets Rs 90 crore as salary purse, 42 crore for maximum four retentions

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The BCCI has set a salary cap of Rs 90 crore for 10 IPL franchises, including the two new entrants, for the next season and allowed a maximum of four retentions for the eight established teams.

    As PTI had reported on Friday, the two new franchises — Lucknow and Ahmedabad — will be given a choice to pick three players from the auction pool after the old teams announce their choice of retentions.

    “The BCCI had sent a letter to all the franchises, updating them about the new rules where four retentions will cost a team Rs 42 crore while three retentions will lead to reduction of Rs 33 crore. Two players retained will mean that Rs 24 crore is deducted while a single player retained means that one has to shell out Rs 14 crore out of the 90 crore purse,” a senior IPL franchise official told PTI.

    He also informed that retention amount and the amount paid to the player is not always the same. “Suppose Delhi Capitals retains Rishabh Pant as their ‘player 1’ among four maximum players, then the purse deducted will be Rs 16 crore. But in reality, Pant’s actual take home salary is not the reflection of what is deducted from purse. It could be much lesser. I am just giving an example,” the official stated.

    In case of four retentions, it could be either three Indians and one foreign player or at the maximum two Indians and as many foreigners. In case of the two new franchises, when they are allowed to select from the pool, they will have the right to pick two Indian and one foreign players from the available pool.

    ALSO READ| Eyeing fat paycheck, players keen to go back to IPL auction pool

    In case of uncapped players, the old franchises will get two picks and new ones will have one choice.

    The letter stated that the entire month of Novemver could be used for retention by eight old franchises and then from December 1-25, Lucknow and Ahmedabad would get a chance to pick their three players before the auction in early January.

    “The window for the eight existing teams to retain the players will be from the 1st November 2021 to 30th November 2021. Thereafter the 2 new teams will have the window to retain the players starting from 1st December 2021 to 25th December 2021,” the letter stated.

    In case of salary purse deductions per player, there are separate figures for four distinct slabs. In case of ‘Slab 1’ and four players retained — ‘Player 1’ will be valued at Rs 16 crore, ‘Player 2’ at Rs 12 crore, ‘Player 3’ at Rs 8 crore and ‘Player 4’ at Rs 6 crore.

    Therefore, the total purse deducted will be Rs 42 crore and that franchise will have Rs 48 crore to play with at the big auction. In case of ‘Slab 2’, ‘Player 1’ is valued at Rs 15 crore, ‘Player 2’ at Rs 11 crore and ‘Player 3’ will have Rs 7 crore earmarked for deductions.

    Therefore the total of Rs 33 crore will be deducted from full purse and that particular franchise will have Rs 57 crore to bid at auction. For ‘Slab 3’, in which two retentions are possible, ‘Player 1’ is valued at Rs 14 crore and ‘Player 2’ at Rs 10 crore and a total of Rs 24 crore deducted from the purse.

    The franchise, which opts for two retentions, will go in with Rs 66 crore at auction. ‘Slab 4’ will have only one retention available for Rs 14 crore and Rs 76 crore available for auction buy. However, in case of an uncapped player being retained, the deduction will be Rs 4 crore.

    While franchises have a month to retain their choice of players, here is a look at the likely retentions of eight original franchises and options available for Lucknow and Ahmedabad.

    All likely options (3+1 or 2+2) (Subject to players agreeing to be retained):

    Chennai Super Kings: Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ravindra Jadeja, MS Dhoni, Faf du Plessis/Moeen Ali/Dwayne Bravo (overseas)

    Mumbai Indians: Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Suryakumar Yadav, Kieron Pollard (overseas)

    Kolkata Knight Riders: Shubman Gill, Varun Chakravarthy, Venkatesh Iyer (uncapped), Sunil Narine (overseas)

    Royal Challengers Bangalore: Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, Yuzvendra Chahal, Glenn Maxwell (overseas)

    Delhi Capitals: Rishabh Pant, Prithvi Shaw, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje

    Kings XI Punjab: No retentions likey as KL Rahul looking for new team

    Rajasthan Royals: Sanju Samson (if he agrees), Ben Stokes (if available post Ashes)

    SunRisers Hyderabad: Rashid Khan (if agreeable)

    Lucknow RP-SG: Shreyas Iyer, David Warner

    Ahmedabad: Pandya brothers — Hardik and Krunal.

  • Eyeing fat paycheck, players keen to go back to IPL auction pool

    Express News Service

    CHENNAI: Even as the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is close to finalising the retention rules for franchises, many of India’s top players are ready to test waters at the IPL auction. With two new teams inducted into the league, a big auction is lined up, which could take place in December or January.

    As things stand, the chances of franchises getting four players to retain are high with two new teams allowed to pick up to three players through a draft system before the auction begins. With regards to retention, teams have been told informally by the BCCI that they can retain either three Indians and one overseas player or two Indians and two overseas players.

    With regards to the right-to-match card (RTM), a consensus has not been reached with some franchises keen on continuing and others against it. The BCCI too believes RTM should be done away with as two new teams are in the fray.

    While retaining players will undoubtedly leave the two mew teams weaker at the auction pool, the BCCI has decided to introduce a draft system for Lucknow and Ahmedabad alone.

    According to an official privy to developments, once the other eight franchises decide on their retention list and release other players into the auction pool, the two new teams will be allowed to pick up to three players in a draft system.

    Lucknow will get the first pick because they made the highest bid at the franchise auction. The two teams will be allowed to pick two Indian and one overseas player as the BCCI is still formulating what the retention fee will be for each of these players including ones who will be retained. The final say on retention is on the players and for those who are picked at the draft, the consent of the player will be sought before signing.

    These are likely to be finalised in the coming days and several top players are understood to be keen on being released by their respective franchises. While the likes of Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Ishan Kishan, Rishabh Pant, Prithvi Shaw, Ravindra Jadeja, Ruturaj Gaikwad are set to be retained, others could find themselves back in the auction pool.

    According to an official, several Indian players are understood to be waiting for the BCCI to finalise the retention fee before deciding whether they will be part of the auction or not.

    At least one franchise found it hard to convince one of their top Indian players to stay back and has come to the acceptance that he won’t continue. Two other teams are still negotiating with their players and remain hopeful that they will agree.

    There are also whispers that one of the leading franchises may spring a surprise and release their star player if it decides to build a team with an eye on the future. The said player is already of big interest to the Lucknow franchise as a clearer picture is expected in the next couple of days.

    The reason why many are keen on going back to the auction pool is that in case they happen to be the third player on the retainer list, they stand to earn not more than Rs 8 crore as there are two more teams. But given it is a bigger auction and teams have to build a full squad, they may not fetch a big amount.

    In recent times, the costliest ones have all been from the mini-auctions, which some franchises have also mentioned in their negotiations with players. Among overseas players, David Warner had already told SEN Radio that he will be in the auction pool.

  • ‘Well….I still haven’t left’: CSK skipper MS Dhoni hints at playing for IPL 2022

    By ANI

    DUBAI: Chennai Super Kings (CSK) skipper MS Dhoni might be 40 but the legendary cricketer could indeed feature in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022. CSK, also known as ‘Dad’s Army’, lifted their fourth IPL title on Friday after defeating Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the final by 27 runs.

    Dhoni, one of the greatest captains to have played the game, said he still has not left behind his legacy, indicating that he might feature in next year’s IPL also. During the post-match presentation, when the broadcaster asked about the legacy Dhoni is leaving behind, the CSK skipper gave a cheeky reply. “Well, I still haven’t left behind (smiles).”

    However, Dhoni also said that him playing for CSK would depend on what works best for the Chennai-based team. “It depends on BCCI with two new teams coming in. Well it’s not about me playing for CSK, it’s about what is best for CSK. The core group that can carry the team for 10 years. Now we need to see what is best,” said Dhoni.

    The CSK skipper also said if any team deserved to win the IPL 2021 title it was KKR and also pointed out that the break helped the Eoin Morgan side.

    “Before I start talking about CSK, it’s important I talk about KKR. For the position they were in after the first phase, it is very difficult to come back and do what they have done. If any team deserved to win the IPL this year, I feel it was KKR. I think the break helped them,” said Dhoni.

    Speaking about CSK’s win, Dhoni said ” Coming to CSK we shuffled a few players, we used them in different ways. Important to take responsibility. I felt we had match-winners game after game. People who were in the form they ensured they were scoring throughout the tournament and others were chipping in.”

    “Every final is special. Yes, we are the most consistent team looking at the stats but we have also lost finals. Not letting the opposition in is something we consciously wanted to improve. I hope CSK in the coming years will be known for that.

    “We don’t really talk a lot. It’s more one on one. Our practice sessions are more like a meeting session also. People are more open that way. The moment you talk in a team room there is a bit of pressure,” Dhoni added.