Chennai Super Kings, the IPL’s second most successful franchise, has been a hub for prominent players. Throughout its illustrious 14-year history, the team has boasted an array of superstars, including World Cup champions, who have proudly worn the iconic yellow jersey, cementing CSK’s status as one of the most revered teams in the league. Legends such as Muttiah Muralitharan, Matthew Hayden, Dwayne Bravo, Brendon McCullum, Shane Watson, and Suresh Raina, among others, have played pivotal roles in supporting MS Dhoni and building CSK into a highly successful brand in the cricketing world. However, the Super Kings are currently in a transitional phase, where a new generation of talented players is being entrusted with responsibilities under the captain’s expert guidance.
The process of change was initiated in the previous season as injuries posed challenges to CSK’s campaign, causing the team to lose key bowlers. In response, fast bowlers Mukesh Choudhary and Simarjeet Singh stepped up and shouldered the responsibility of leading the CSK attack throughout the season. Despite not achieving their desired results, the team displayed resilience and managed to navigate through the obstacles, setting their sights on the future. As the 2023 season unfolded, CSK witnessed the retirement of certain legends while welcoming fresh talents to fill the void. Once again, injuries posed a hurdle for the Super Kings, but this time, they found solace in the overwhelming support from their passionate home crowd, which served as a confidence booster for the team.
CSK became the first team to utilize the impact player rule, assigning the label to Mumbai bowler Tushar Deshpande. However, he failed to make an impact in the campaign opener against the Gujarat Titans. In the next game, he took a wicket but also conceded numerous extras. It was high time that Dhoni warned the young bowlers against bowling too many no-balls and wides, indicating that he might step away if the issue persisted. The statement seemed to work wonders as Deshpande’s performance improved significantly, especially in terms of taking wickets.
As a result, Deshpande claimed the Purple Cap in the third week itself. The right-arm quick has become CSK’s highest wicket-taker but still needs to work on controlling the runs conceded. Tushar’s journey in IPL 2023 has been an inspiration for many. From being hammered on his CSK debut to becoming the team’s top bowler, the 28-year-old has experienced a lot. Ahead of the clash against the Delhi Capitals, batting coach Mike Hussey revealed how the fast bowler regrouped after a tough start and is now shining brightly.
“It’s about having the backing from the captain and coaching staff. They have shown trust in Tushar, and when you feel supported by the captain and coach and know that you have a role to play, it boosts your confidence. There will still be ups and downs in games, but if you know that the team is fully behind you, you feel motivated to go out there and play your best cricket. You don’t worry about being dropped after every game,” Hussey responded to a query from Cricketnext.
“He has had a very good tournament. Along the way, there have been areas for him to work on, but as the season progresses, he has become clearer and clearer about his approach. This applies not only in the Powerplay overs but also during the death overs,” he added.
CSK captain Dhoni is known for his ability to groom players, and Tushar’s case is no different. With 19 wickets to his name, Deshpande currently holds the 6th spot on the Purple Cap list and is expected to climb higher when he takes the field against the Delhi Capitals on Saturday afternoon.
Comments
0 comment