‘Dhoni made Jadeja what he is today’: Ex-CSK opener clears the air on rift between teammates

Jadeja, who many believed would leave the franchise following the captaincy row, played an instrumental role in helping CSK to the title.

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) have the reputation of being one of the strongest franchise in the cash-rich Indian Premier League (IPL). The team has been hit with a few lows on occasions but have responded with more force as witnessed in the previous two editions.

Ravindra Jadeja hugs MS Dhoni after CSK defeated Gujarat Titans in the IPL final (Twitter/ChennaiIPL)

CSK had finished second last in 2022 and went to lift the trophy in the following edition, thus taking their total tally to five IPL titles. What was different about the 2022 edition was the franchise being led by star all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja despite MS Dhoni being available in the camp. The move, however, didn't yield any favourable results and Jadeja had to relinquish the position, handing it back to Dhoni midway during the season.

There was no captaincy shuffle in 2023 and CSK once again emerged as the champions under Dhoni's leadership. There was speculation over whether Jadeja would leave the franchise before the season started but he ended up being a protagonist of the team's success, famously hitting a four off the second last ball and a six off the last ball of the final.

"I don't think Jaddu (Jadeja) was upset with Mahi bhai at all. It was just that he was sad because the team wasn't doing great. Everyone's performances that year were not coming up to the mark," Rayudu said on BehindWoodsTV Youtube channel.

Rayudu, who announced his retirement after the 2023 edition, also highlighted how Dhoni helped in molding Jadeja into a world class all-rounder.

"He (Dhoni) has put this team and has made Jaddu (Jadeja) what he is today. He has nurtured him for what, 10-12 years. So he would naturally be happy that the product that he made has won the final for CSK after whatever happened last year," said Rayudu.