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'In first conversation with Dhoni he said, 'You don't walk into my XI'': IPL veteran on what makes CSK 'successful'
Veteran India cricketer feels that clarity in communication and backing the players have played a key role in CSK's IPL success.
Chennai Super Kings (CSK), the defending champions of the Indian Premier League (IPL) trophy, is one of the most successful teams in the tournament, having won four titles and having made the playoffs in 11 of their 12 IPL appearances. But what makes them one of the most successful teams in the league - is it the players or is it the core, or is it the support staff and the think tank? Well none of these claims veteran Indian batter and present CSK cricketer Robin Uthappa, who feels that clarity in communication and backing the players have played a key role in CSK's IPL success.
Remember that Shane Watson season in IPL 2018. The former Australian all-rounder struggled to score big all throughout the tournament with critics sharpening their knives. Yet he was backed continuously by MS Dhoni and the coaching staff and it resulted in an incredible and match-winning knock in the final.
Speaking to former CSK teammate R Ashwin on his YouTube channel, Uthappa recalled it and opined that backing the key players has been one of the key reasons behind their success.
“I think this is the secret to successful IPL franchises. They have a large support staff. And one of the things as soon as you enter this setup is that there is loyalty and a sense of security within this group. Their trainers and physios have been around since the inception of IPL. And as a player, you see...from the outside, I have seen when CSK give someone an opportunity it is for 5-6 games or even 7 games.
"They think that you are really good. They bought into you completely as a person and as a player. Like Shane Watson had a bad IPL in 2018 till the finals, right? And then he did something incredible for us. Similar with Sureshy (Suresh Raina) as well. There are times when he wouldn't have performed well in the first 8 games. But they have stuck with him and suddenly, in the last 6 games, he has changed the whole course of the tournament with his performances,” he said.
Uthappa then recalled his first conversation with Dhoni, who was the captain when he was traded to CSK from Rajasthan Royals in 2021. He admitted that the clarity given to him at the start of the season and during the tournament helped him keep the positive spirit even while he was not part of the XI.
“When I came here, that was communicated to me - 'When you get an opportunity, you will get 4 or 5 games for sure. But you have to wait for your opportunity.' For me clarity and communication are very important. So for me, one of thing that I liked about that first conversation with MS was that he told me, 'As of now, you don't walk into my playing XI. We are two months away from IPL. We will see where it goes in the next couple of months. Because I am not thinking about it at this point in time.' Then when I came here, they told me, 'Listen, you are in the top 12 or 13. But you might not get the first game. You might have to wait for your turn.' I said, 'Fair enough, that communication is there,'” added the veteran.
Another key factor pointed out by Uthappa was the help he received from the coaches despite not being in the XI.
“What was really nice after that was that every week or once in 4-5 days, one coach or the other would come and speak to me and say, 'What can I do for you? How can I help you prepare for what's coming for you? Or, what do you want to improve on?' They understood that, at that point where I played 190 IPL games and I was sitting outside.
"It was very easy for someone who has played those many matches to become negative. But what helped me keep that good attitude was that they spoke to me and made sure I was paid attention to at practice when the main guys who were in the XI weren't practicing. I truly believe that the health of a good IPL team or a successful IPL team is very reliant on how the guys who are not in the XI are taken care off because they set the atmosphere and the tone of the team.”
