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'I wish he was watching': CSK's new recruit remembers late father, says 'he really loved how calm Dhoni is'
Four-time champions CSK have retained its core that played a major role in their title-winning season last year.
One of the heroes of India's title-winning campaign in the latest Under-19 World Cup, Rajvardhan Hangargekar fetched a whopping ₹1.5 crore from defending champions Chennai Super Kings. The IPL 2022 Auction saw the franchises investing their money in young players, hoping that the experiment pays dividends in the future.
Known for his Hangargekar entered the auction at a base price of 30 lakh and attracted initial interest from Mumbai Indians before Lucknow Super Giants and Chennai Super Kings joined the race. In the end, four-time champions Chennai secured the deal and Hangargekar is set to live the dream of playing under MS Dhoni.
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Hangargekar has had his fair share of struggles in life. Two years ago, he lost his father due to Covid-19 and it was "tough" for a 17-year-old Hangargekar to practice with the same level of intensity. But he was determined to chase the goals he had set.
"Tough phase for me [but I told myself], 'Okay, I have to accept what has happened but I can't just keep sitting and put myself in a bad frame of mind'. So I knew what I had to do. It was tough for me to go out there and practice again with the same intensity and all that. I had already decided my goals. I knew what I wanted to do," Hangargekar told Cricbuzz.
Hangargekar also revealed his father being a huge admirer of Dhoni, who is widely regarded as one of the finest tactical brains in the sport. Hangargekar, who can impress in CSK colours with his raw pace and batting prowess, is eager to work with CSK and bloom under Dhoni.
"He was really good guy, he always wanted me to be an international player, I wish he was watching me playing for CSK, because he really loved the way Dhoni handled the game, he really loved how calm Dhoni is in tough situations, he was also a calm person in a lot of tough situations. I'm really keen to work with CSK and MS Dhoni," Hangargekar further said.
Four-time champions CSK have retained its core that played a major role in their title-winning season last year. CSK had retained four players; Ravindra Jadeja, MS Dhoni, Moeen Ali and Ruturaj Gaikwad ahead of the 2022 edition. The franchise further brought back Deepak Chahar, Ambati Rayudu, Robin Uthappa and Dwayne Bravo.
But the franchise also bought some fresh faces to strengthen its panel. New Zealand opener Devon Conway was signed by the CSK alongside the likes of Hangargekar, Shivam Dube and Dwaine Pretorius.
