It was a far fetched fantasy for everyone involved. CSK coming into the mix after a gap of two years, almost comprehensively losing the opening game of the IPL to MI and then coming back to the same ground and winning IPL 2018 in emphatic fashion was nothing short of a dream.
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MS Dhoni was at the helm of carving out that dream for his team and for the loyal fans of Chennai.
They got their team taken away from then for two years, they got their home ground taken away from them this year, but what remained with them, something that nobody could touch was the belief in their franchise.
That belief helped CSK believe and with an emotional Dhoni, deprived of captaincy for the last 18 months, it seemed like it was the correct recipe for a CS fairytale.
MS Dhoni was ecstatic and emotional at the post match presentation, as maybe even for him it was a little too overwhelming.
Dhoni also made ti a point to address a few things that were spoken about the franchise almost ever since the team was drafted.
With 9 players over the age of 30 in the squad, it almost felt like CSK had made a mistake in their planning and maybe had given into their emotions a little too much.
However, Dhoni and his boys showed everyone that even in a format that is meant for the young, the experienced can flourish and can topple over the exuberance of youth.
“We talked a lot about age but what matters is the fitness. Rayudu for example is 33, he’s someone who is fit, covers a lot of ground. Even if he plays a few games where he spends a lot of time in the ground and in the field, he never complains.
“So it is the fitness that really matters more than the age aspect. What captains want is players who move well in the field. It doesn’t matter which year a player is born in, whether you are 19 or 20 – you have to be agile.
“You have to accept your shortcomings. For example if I push Watson to stop a single, there is a very good chance that he’ll burst his hamstring and won’t be available for the next game. So what you tell yourselves is that they have to commit and try, but there’s no point getting injured for a single,” Dhoni said
