Subramaniam Badrinath, the former Chennai Super Kings batsman, has come out and stated that it is the culture and the dressing room atmosphere that the Mahendra Singh Dhoni-led side has been able to create over the years, has been the key to the success of the franchise.
Recently in an interview with SportStar, Badrinath was joined by another former CSK cricketer Shadab Jakati. To talk about why the franchise has been able to become the most successful IPL side over the years.
Jakati, who was part of Chennai's two title-winning campaigns in 2010 and 2011, said, “I think the magic is the atmosphere in the dressing room that is created by the franchise. It is a different atmosphere compared to other teams. I have been a part of three teams, so I know how it is. They make players, especially newcomers and internationals, feel at home, The players back each other and they enjoy each others’ success. This is one of the main reasons why CSK has been so successful in the IPL,”
Chennai Super Kings were making a return from the two-year exile and have yet reached the finals this year. Badrinath talked about this and said, “It was not easy to hit the ground running after two years, but they have been smart enough to hold on to the players who have been a part of CSK. The adaptation after two years has been easy. Moving to Pune had its own challenges, as they picked spinners who would have been ideal at home. But then, they did pretty well. It has been a boon for Ambati Rayudu. The Pune wicket really suited his batting style,”
Subramaniam Badrinath, who is currently working as a cricket expert and Tamil commentator for Star Sports, further added, “Dwayne Bravo, Dhoni, Faf du Plessis, Ravindra Jadeja are faces you associate with CSK. When players play for a franchise over a period of time, they associate themselves with the team. That’s where CSK got its support and it rubbed on the performances,”
“They have been a great franchise by creating such a conducive atmosphere. In the worst of situations, they gave us confidence that we are champion cricketers. When you play from your heart, you really want to do well and that’s where you get the best out of a player. The self-belief was always right up there for CSK,”
“Whatever sport you play, you are going to face tough situations but when you believe in your abilities and you know that you can get yourself out of these situations, there is nothing like it. That’s where CSK scores above the rest,”
It has all come down to this, two best sides in the league stage will be contesting the final this year, when Chennai Super Kings lock horns with Sunrisers Hyderabad on Sunday.
(Inputs from SportStar)
