It came as a surprise to everyone that Dhoni announced that he would no longer play on the international stage. Thus, he gave way to new promising players who will be able to bring India to the first place in the world ranking.
When the first T20 World Cup took place, Mahendra was elected captain of the national team. Recall that India met Pakistan in the final and won a landslide victory. 5 years later, the success was repeated, and India defeated Australia with a crushing score, after which Dhoni was recognized not only as the best captain but also the most productive wicketkeeper.
In August 2020, information appeared on social networks and the media that the legendary player was leaving the national team (Rohit Sharma is currently the captain). Dhoni also stated that he remains in the national sport and will play in the Chennai Super Kings team.
In this article, we will talk about the importance of this player for Indian cricket and try to figure out what impact Mahendra’s transition to CSK will have on the IPL.
The Significance of Dhoni for Indian Cricket and the IPL
It’s no exaggeration to say that M. S. Dhoni has made a huge contribution to the development of Indian cricket, and also brought significant trophies to the national team. The victory at the World Championships in 2007, and 2011, as well as in the World Cup in 2013 will remain in the memory of fans forever.
Do not forget that the national team managed to take the Asian Cup in 2010 and 2016. 2 years later, in 2018, he received the country’s third largest award “Padma Bhushan” for his services. If we talk about club games, then Dhoni showed his best side here too.
Everyone was impressed by the Chennai Super Kings’ victories in the 2021 and 2023 finals. It should be noted that the team is also good in the T20 format, the last cup was won in 2014. You can bet on your favorite team at 1Win https://1winx.in, you can start after a quick registration.
In 2016, a film based on the biography of the athlete was released, where Mahendra was placed in the top 5 most popular world cricketers. Everyone is interested to know how a young man who started by selling travel tickets and playing for the Bihar state national team became the captain of the national team and a world star.
Analysis of Dhoni’s Early Seasons at the New Team
Let’s remember the first game, it was rightfully called “the game of kings”. The fact is that Punjab Kings and Chennai Super Kings faced off in the confrontation, and the Dhoni team won, which was able to score 240/5 in 20 overs over 33 rounds.
This result was considered the highest for two years until CSK beat it. The team did not immediately enter the top, managed to win only 8 games out of 14, ending up in third place. In the semifinals, Chennai met the Kings again and beat them in the semifinals, gaining a 9-wicket difference.
But in the final, CSK lost to the Rajasthan Royals team, losing by only 3 wickets. Recall that Dhoni was bought at auction for 125 million INR, such a high price was not paid in vain, and the team showed decent results already in the first seasons.
Even if these were not the first places, we managed to get into the top three twice, which was a great start. Next, Dhoni became the captain, bringing good luck and victories, in some matches he showed amazing results as a player. The team is currently on the rise after winning the IPL 2023.
Investing in the Success and Popularity of Chennai Super Kings
CSK is popular in India, but the team is known abroad primarily because of the brightest players and captain Dhoni. That is, we can say that Mahendra has made a significant contribution to the fame of the team. As for success, it is thanks to the coach and the captain that the team achieves such high performance every year.
Well-coordinated teamwork leads to high results. The attention of the world’s media is focused on the activities of the team and its members. That is why it is possible to receive not only national funding, but also assistance from independent sponsors.
Funds are spent on signing contracts with new promising players who strengthen the team. It should be remembered that the competition has grown greatly in recent years, and many strong teams have appeared. At the moment, four of the strongest can be cited:
- Chennai Super Kings.
- Gujarat Titans.
- Mumbai Indians.
- Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Evaluation of the Long-term Impact on the League
If we turn to the opinion of experts, we can note the following trend. Experts predict the success of CSK over the next two years.
At this time, Dhoni will certainly remain the captain and bring good results. It is difficult to talk about the effectiveness of further cooperation because each player sooner or later reaches the age limit and ceases to demonstrate the highest results.
It is possible that in 2026 Mahendra will transfer the captaincy to another promising player. If we talk about the immediate prospects, then in 2024 Chennai SK should show decent results. This is indicated by the bookmakers’ odds.
