Former West Indies all-rounder Dwayne Bravo, on Tuesday (December 7), said that he is very happy to be part of the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) legacy in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
He also termed winning the trophy in IPL 2021 in the UAE as a "special season" as they were motivated to prove themselves after finishing seventh in IPL 2020. Bravo was the second-highest wicket-taker for CSK, with 14 wickets in 11 matches in the IPL 2021.
Notably, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) defeated Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) by 27 runs in the IPL 2021 final to lift their fourth IPL title in Dubai in October. CSK now has just one title behind Mumbai Indians in the list of those who have the most IPL titles in their cabinet.
CSK made a very strong comeback in the IPL 14 after their dismal campaign in the IPL 2020, as they couldn’t make it to the knockout stage for the first time in IPL history last season.
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Well, CSK were relying heavily on their experienced players like Bravo, Faf du Plessis, Ravindra Jadeja, and Suresh Raina, with most of them being above 30, leading the fans and experts to often call them "Dad’s Army", and the all-rounder said that they gave them a befitting reply by winning the IPL 2021.
Bravo told IANS: “It was a special season because the season before, we came seventh and it was the first time CSK did not qualify (for playoffs) in the history of IPL. So, all of us as players were determined to come back and prove ourselves and the fans that we are much better than that last season.”
He continued, “So, even last season, no one gave us a chance because they called us the granddad of the IPL but we proved all the doubters wrong and created history again. I am very happy to be a part of the legacy of Chennai Super Kings, one of the most successful IPL franchises ever.”
Praising CSK skipper MS Dhoni, Bravo mentioned: “It’s no secret that he is one of the best players to have ever played the game. He single-handedly built Chennai Super Kings and the culture. All of us as players are very proud and happy to have played under him and his leadership guidance. When it comes to off-the-field stuff, he doesn’t get involved much.”
He added, “He is very laidback, allows people to be themselves, and brings acceptance that everyone is different. He allowed that to make Chennai Super Kings to be the team and franchise that they are when they have different cultures and people from different parts of the world coming in. MS always makes it clear that you want them to be themselves and that’s very unique and everybody shares that bond.”
Asked on what went wrong for the West Indies in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021, where they crashed out in the Super 12 stage, Bravo said: “We just didn’t have a good World Cup. So, it’s hard to pick a big point to say where we went wrong. It just didn’t click for us as a team. It’s history, we can’t change it. I don’t what was the reason why we didn’t do well but it has happened.”
Bravo signed off by saying, “That’s the reality of sports at the moment. It’s a tight schedule. It’s big business. You look at the English Premiership (League); it is run for like eight months. The NBA is run for four and a half or five months. So, that’s the schedule of professional athletes, to be honest. It’s tough but it is what it is.”
(With IANS Inputs)
