Former India and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) batter Ambati Rayudu was all praises for skipper MS Dhoni after he led the franchise to their fifth IPL title in IPL 2023 when they defeated Gujarat Titans (GT) in the final on Monday in Ahmedabad.
Before the final, the 37-year-old Rayudu had announced his retirement after 14 years in the IPL through his social media handle.
Ambati Rayudu paid tribute to CSK skipper MS Dhoni playing with a strapped knee. He played the entire tournament basically on one leg even keeping wickets wonderfully.
Now he has undergone surgery in Mumbai’s Kokilaben Hospital to correct his knee issues, reports have suggested.
"He is thinking beyond himself, he is thinking for everybody, he thinks even for India, the whole population, that's his greatest attribute," Rayudu said. "At this age doing what he is doing is incredible, I don't think anybody else could have done what he is doing and not just playing but playing so well, he is just magic,” Rayudu told NDTV.
He also said that the turning point for CSK in IPL 2023 came after they defeated Mumbai Indians in Chennai.
"Definitely, that win against Mumbai's in Chennai was one game where we felt we are in this season, in for the real deal, and from there on, maybe the KKR game was a little dampener but it actually fired us up to go to Delhi and win a must-win game and from there on we knew if we do our basics right we are in with a really good chance," Rayudu added.
Ambati Rayudu also added that the team was most wary of the Gujarat Titans to the point of hoping to avoid playing them in the final.
"But we were always scared of GT, the way they were playing this season, we really didn't want them to come to the finals but we had to face them especially their bowling it was unbelievable," Rayudu said.
Rayudu played for only two teams in IPL, making his debut for MI in 2010 and then moving to CSK in 2018.
Speaking about the reasons behind the success of the two franchises, Rayudu said: "It's just that these two teams have been blessed with really good team players more than individual stars, that's always been the case. If you look at even MI, I don't they've had many orange caps and purple caps in their seasons and still they won a lot of trophies even in CSK, there are a lot of players who go out there, and do everything for the team and not just from 2018 but from a very long time. That's the culture that has made both the teams successful."
Rayudu played a vital role in MI's title runs in 2013, 2015, and 2017 before winning the title with CSK in 2018, 2021, and 2023. He is the joint most IPL title winner with six wins, equal with Rohit Sharma, who has won one title with Deccan Chargers and five with MI.
(NDTV inputs)
