When it comes to the crunch games, you just know that the big guys would rise to the occasion and push through.
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CSK have been doing it ever since the inception of the IPL, finding themselves in pressure situations and deciphering a way to react to them and ultimately conquer them.
Their familiarity with ‘pressure’ and the team culture to deal with pressure has made them a force to reckon with, no matter what the match situation.
And all of that came to the fore today, when Faf du Plessis, with his back against the wall, managed to find that little outlet to take his side to a record 7th IPL final.
MS Dhoni was extremely pleased with how things panned out today, despite that massive stutter at the start of their run chase.
He credited CSK’s backroom staff for maintaining a team culture that brought about the best from all the players.
“That’s where experience counts (talking about du Plessis). It’s not easy not to get games during the IPL. I’ve always felt you need to train the mind more than the body. Injuries can happen anytime. That’s where experience counts. He’s been brilliant. He batted really well.” Dhoni said
“Hopefully he can continue this in the final also. We’ve been a very good team and it reflects when it comes to the IPL. It reflects the dressing room atmosphere we’ve been able to create. It’s not possible without that.
“Credit goes to management, support staff and players. Even if one of them is lacking you can’t have a good dressing room atmosphere. If atmosphere is not great, it becomes difficult to perform. Somehow we’ve been able to push the players into thinking about what’s good for the team.” he added.
