CSK have probably been the most celebrated franchise in the IPL all through these 11 years. They have now qualified for the playoffs for a record 9th time after RR’s win over MI at the Wankhede.
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CSK started their tryst with destiny when they urged MS Dhoni to sign for them in 2008 as their ‘icon’ player. An Indian captain in his prime, the ‘marriage’ was supposed to work, it had to work.
And it did, giving MS Dhoni a different dimension as a captain and helping CSK establish a brand for themselves in the IPL circuit.
The franchise has grown in stature every year, and despite the two year ban, it retained its rich fanbase.
Moreover, they did not just retain their fanbase, but it actually grew in volume over the last two years, in anticipation of CSK’s return to the IPL this year.
MS Dhoni was chosen to lead again, giving people from the cricketing fraternity these bouts of nostalgia, one’s that they had been longing for for sometime.
But the auction did not go according to plan for CSK, or so it seemed, as the CSK think tank had recruited a rather over aged squad.
Yes, the squad had proved itself in the International circuit, but a lot of them were coming into this IPL on the basis of their past laurels.
But they had Dhoni controlling the functioning of the team, and they had a Dhoni who was hungry to be the main man again, a Dhoni who wanted to prove something to the cricketing fraternity.
The fire was visible from game one, and it rubbed off on all the players, as CSK have seen different match winners in different games and have once again made it to the playoffs of the IPL.
CSK are the only team to have qualified for the playoffs in all the seasons that they have played.
And with the thumping win over the table toppers today, CSK would be looking to build some momentum going into the playoffs.
