Having played two complete Indian Premier League seasons at Chennai Super Kings, New Zealand batter Devon Conway has understood why the franchise is different from the remaining nine in the competition. Even though Conway hasn’t played for any other IPL team till now, he seems blown away by the kind of affection the team shows towards everyone.
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Conway had left the bio-bubble to marry his girlfriend in South Africa last year. When Conway returned back to India, Super Kings had planned a massive celebration for him in typical South Indian style. Conway was so surprised about the same as he had no clue how they pulled it off in the first place.
In just two seasons, Conway has already won a title with Chennai. He was bought at his base price of INR 1 crore. With his signing, CSK effortlessly replaced their former opener Faf du Plessis, who is currently leading Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL.
Devon Conway Reveals What Sets Asides CSK From Other IPL Teams
In an interview with ESPNcricinfo, Conway used words such as “culture”, “family” and “continuity” to lay emphasis on the qualities of the franchise. He said that when Chennai picks a player, they usually give them their full support despite failures. Conway mentioned that no matter how the performances are, the players always feel like a big family that motivates them to put an extra foot forward.
“The culture is set right at the top. There’s a family feel. They all go the extra mile to make you feel welcome. On the cricketing front, there’s continuity. Players know if they’re being picked, they will be backed, come what may. They don’t worry about what happens if they’re smashed for 50 runs in four overs or if they get three single-digit scores in a row.”
Conway is not the only player who has praised the franchise. Former players such as Suresh Raina, Harbhajan Singh, Robin Uthappa, Shane Watson etc. have all, on multiple occasions, accepted that there is no other franchise like Chennai Super Kings.
Devon Conway Expresses Surprise At Winning Player Of The Match Award In IPL 2023 Final
In the same conversation, Conway admitted that he was not expecting to win the Player of the Match award in IPL 2023 final against Gujarat Titans at the Narendra Modi Stadium last month. Chasing a mammoth 215-run target, CSK were provided with a much-needed brilliant start with Conway scoring 47 (25) with the help of four fours and two sixes.
Mohammed Shami and Rashid Khan were the premier bowlers of GT, and the way Conway batted against both of them was outstanding to watch. Conway insisted that he doesn’t care about winning individual trophies as he dreams about winning championships.
“Oh, yeah [I was surprised]. For sure. I thought Sai Sudharsan played an unbelievable knock. Jaddu [Ravindra Jadeja] himself had an incredible game with bat and ball.”
Former CSK captain Ravindra Jadeja could have been adjudged the Player of the Match as well. After picking a wicket in the first innings, he was the one who scored 10 runs off the last two balls to register a nerve-wracking win. Gujarat batter Sai Sudharsan, meanwhile, had scored 96 (47) and was worthy of the award as well.
