Chennai Super Kings will begin their campaign in the Indian Premier League on Friday when they take on the Gujarat Titans in the season opener in Ahmedabad. The MS Dhoni-led side will be aiming for a strong comeback in the 2023 edition after the side had a forgettable outing last year, finishing ninth in the table. CSK won only four matches of their 14 in the 2022 season that also saw a back-and-forth in captaincy between Dhoni and Ravindra Jadeja.
However, even as CSK endured a poor outing in the season, there were a number of positives for the side. The Super Kings unearthed new talents like Mukesh Choudhary, Prashant Solanki and Tushar Deshpande in the season, and while Mukesh might be ruled out of the season with an injury, the other two may play a bigger role in the season.
Deshpande played only two matches for the CSK in the season but the experience helped him immensely in domestic cricket, as he emerged as one of the key bowlers for Mumbai. Now, the 27-year-old pacer has revealed that he had a chat with CSK skipper MS Dhoni that ‘helped’ him as a bowler, and credited him for an improved outing in domestic cricket.
“When the season ended, I had a chat with Mahi bhai. He told me a few things that helped me grow as a bowler and as an individual. That helped me perform really well in the First-Class season. I ended up picking a total of 51 wickets, which was never achieved by anyone from my state. And the one thing which I learnt from Mahi bhai is how you own the game. You take the responsibility on yourself when the team is under pressure or is struggling,” Deshpande told Chennai Super Kings.
{{/usCountry}}“When the season ended, I had a chat with Mahi bhai. He told me a few things that helped me grow as a bowler and as an individual. That helped me perform really well in the First-Class season. I ended up picking a total of 51 wickets, which was never achieved by anyone from my state. And the one thing which I learnt from Mahi bhai is how you own the game. You take the responsibility on yourself when the team is under pressure or is struggling,” Deshpande told Chennai Super Kings.
{{/usCountry}}The 2023 edition will be Deshpande's third in the IPL; he made his maiden appearance in the league in 2020 when he represented the Delhi Capitals. In five matches for the side, he picked three wickets. He had made his First-Class debut in 2016.