'He may have felt hurt'- CSK CEO on Ravindra Jadeja’s cryptic 'Karma' tweet after being irked by 'Dhoni' chants in IPL 2023

There were rumors of rift between Jadeja and Dhoni.

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) CEO Kasi Viswanathan touched upon the subject of all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja’s cryptic tweets during the recent IPL 2023 where he shared his angst at the crowds chanting MS Dhoni’s name constantly, especially after he got out.

Rumors of a rift between the two former India teammates abounded following CSK's captaincy snafu IPL 2022 season, in which Dhoni handed the reins to Jadeja before regaining it following a disastrous start to the season.

Jadeja even unfollowed CSK on Twitter, which caused a complete breakdown on the social media platform. Thankfully, relations between the two got back to normal after Dhoni allegedly persuaded Jadeja to stick with the team.

The all-rounder scored the winning runs to give Chennai a record-tying fifth IPL title, a move that ultimately benefited both Jadeja and CSK.

However, this year, the rumors returned, more so after Jadeja once told the broadcasters 'They wait for me to get out', about fans chanting 'We want Dhoni'. Jadeja responded by sending out a string of cryptic posts on Twitter, although he made no mention of Dhoni.

“He will inform us on his own”- CSK CEO Kasi Viswanathan on MS Dhoni's future in IPL

"As far as Jadeja is concerned, he bowled superbly. While batting, our line-up of Ruturaj, Conway, Moeen, and Rahane, with the results, whenever he [Jadeja] went in to bat, he had 5-10 balls left. In such situations, it can or can't click sometimes. But the thing is he also knew Dhoni was to come in next, and he would get just 2-3 balls sometimes.

In such situations whenever he went in, the crowd used to welcome Dhoni. In a way, he may have felt hurt. Any player for that matter may have had that pressure. But he didn't complain about it even though he put out a tweet," CEO Kasi Viswanathan told ESPNCricinfo while sharing his views on the issue.

In the same match – against Delhi Capitals – a fuming Dhoni's heated conversation with Jadeja, further fuelled reports of friction between the two. Viswanathan himself was seen having a word or two with Jadeja.

"It's all part and parcel of the game. After the last game, people saw videos online and assumed I'm pacifying Jadeja, but it wasn't like that. I was talking to him about the match, what he did. We didn't have any other discussion. Everyone knows in a team environment, what happens in the dressing room, no one is privy to it outside. We don't have any problem. He always had high respect for Dhoni. After the final also, he said, 'I dedicate this knock to Dhoni.' That is the kind of respect he has for MS," Viswanathan added.