With a third title under its belt, Chennai Super Kings has every right to stake claim for the tag of most successful team in the IPL. It can also, probably, apply for copyright for the term ‘core group’.
Ever since the rules for auction and retentions were announced, Chennai Super Kings was fixated on the idea of recreating its old ‘core group’.
A week before the auction, when asked whether the team would be better off building for the future, skipper M.S. Dhoni had explained the importance of retaining the core group and said the team could always plug the holes in subsequent auctions.
On Monday, coach Stephen Fleming spoke about the how that core group helped the team win the title.
“We have been consistent with the players that we have picked and once we have a core group we have bucked the trend by sticking with the players through thick and thin, because we believe that gives us an overall chance of success.
“We went back to players we really respected and the loyalty comes back in droves,” said the former New Zealand skipper.
At the auction, five months ago, Dhoni spoke of how CSK was able to get players from other franchises to do well. His exact words were, “We had few players from other franchises, but we were able to do something because of which they did very well for us.”
And there couldn’t be a better example than the man of the moment in the final — Shane Watson.
When asked to give his take on Dhoni’s comments, Fleming credited a lot to the former saying, “Dhoni has a strong effect and influence on the players. He gives players belief and as team management we give roles to each of the players. MS does have the ability to bring the best out of the players.
“There are many players whose careers needed a boost. We, as a franchise, see that as an opportunity and Rayudu is an example. He has been in and out of the side. We have given him a consistent role and he has repaid in bucket loads. It’s using the strength of a remarkable captain with a strong franchise with a good gameplan.”
Talk about a captain and coach in sync or, put simply, the virtue of getting that ‘core group’ sorted.
