Chennai Super Kings (CSK) is among the most stable teams in IPL. They have a great record behind them to be proud of and the bonding between the players off the field helps the team on the field.

Suresh Raina, one of the core members of CSK, spoke about the responsibility, hard work, and the unit they have built to conquer any side. They have a variety of players who come from different countries, Raina feels the diversity has helped them explore various skills.

The vice-captain of Super Kings feels this year is going to be challenging is the tag of being the defending champions, putting the extra burden to perform.

“We (CSK) are the defending champions, which is a big responsibility on our shoulders. It’s going to be an exciting couple of weeks; we have a string of interesting matches lined up, the first ones against the Royal Challengers and that’s an important one. We’ve got to start out confident and get the momentum going right from the first match,” he said.

About the team unit, he added, “We are a fun and hardworking team. We take our practice sessions and our off-time very seriously. You know, we have players from different corners of the world and so our cricketing skills vary, but those very differences have helped us build such a solid unit.

“This is our 11th year, and the returning players — we know each other like the back of our hands and that familiarity is what converts on the field. We are able to bat, bowl and field better."

We are not a team, we are family, says Raina on the Chennai Super Kings squad. “More than a group of professional cricketers, we are like a family and that’s why we find ourselves backing each other in times of crisis. The off-screen bonding is really strong and that’s because we are looked after really well by the CSK management team. It’s all very well organized. It feels like home,” he added.

(With Sportstar Inputs)