NEW DELHI: Chennai Super Kings have consistently been one of the most successful franchises in the Indian Premier League, and their former captain MS Dhoni recently shed light on the philosophy that underpins their success.
According to Dhoni, the core of CSK’s strategy is to prioritize the team's interests above everything else, even if it means making tough decisions about high-profile players.
Dhoni explained that when CSK signs a big-name player who doesn’t fit seamlessly into the team's environment, they expect the individual to make adjustments to align with the team's goals.
"We get a very good player on our team, but he's drastically different from our environment. So what do we look for? We want him to take that one step towards the team's goal and we are happy to take three steps towards him," Dhoni said in a video shared by CSK.
However, if the player cannot adapt, Dhoni and the CSK management are not afraid to let them go, regardless of their stature.
"The second best thing is you keep doing what you are doing but don't disrupt us. That's the second-best option. The third is you have to let him go. Whether it's business or sports, you want to do well at the end of the day. The think tank's goal is to get the most out of the individual. If he's very good for the team, I will try whatever ways to ensure he becomes an asset," Dhoni elaborated.
"But he also needs to be willing to take that step. If he doesn't take that first step, I can take the second option but at some point in time, I will have to take a call. I don't want the whole team to adapt to the individual because that is wrong. So, you have to let him go. He may be the greatest player, but you have to let him go. Somebody else will come and take his place. He may not be as good as him, but he will help the team perform better," Dhoni asserted.
The 2024 IPL season was a challenging one for CSK. For only the third time in 15 years, the
Yellow Army
failed to make the playoffs. The team was hampered by injuries and the unavailability of key bowlers like
Matheesha Pathirana
and
Mustafizur Rahman
.
Dhoni, whose future in the league remains uncertain, spoke about the importance of fear and pressure in driving improvement.
"Fear is very important. You need to have that fear because if I don't have fear, I can never be brave. I can never be courageous. So I always felt that fear is important, that the pressure is important because that helps me take the right decision, keeping everything in mind. If I have fear, you know, a lot of people talk about being fearless," he said.
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