IPL 2023: Jadeja, Conway, Gaikwad, Dube, Rayudu, Rahane – Trusted soldiers in MS Dhoni’s cabinet

The fans of Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Dhoni were awake till 3 in the morning to see their revered cricketer pick the elusive trophy for the fifth time in his elusive career. ‘Thala’ will now gear up for the next season. Yes, Dhoni isn’t retiring, the last dance remains.

Like the IPL, Dhoni also keeps on giving to his fans. His soldiers will also be more than happy to be marshalled by their leader for one more time. Even though one of them retired after the final match, CSK might induct him in their support staff. The exact way they did with Dwayne Bravo and Michael Hussey.

Dhoni’s leadership style is based on trust. The same reason why families of the players are also given a lot of importance by the franchise. In the post-match scenes, Dhoni was seen lovingly hugging the family members of his players. He is like a guardian figure for all.

Kids of the players were also seen holding the trophy and getting pictures clicked with unfiltered smiles on their faces. The players who did not even play a match were equally involved. CSK is truly like one big family with Dhoni being their head.

Managing a franchise all alone isn’t an easy task. All the successful leaders in history have marked their trusted soldiers within a larger group and train as leaders in their own rights. Dhoni has done the same over the years and the results are there to be seen.

Players nearing the end of their careers have walked into CSK and emerged as a brand new player. Take for example Ajinkya Rahane, who would have thought that he would score 326 runs at a strike rate of 172.48.

CSK were marred with injury in the season. Kyle Jamieson did not turn up, Ben Stokes played just two matches, Deepak Chahar missed a handful of matches on a stretch and Mukesh Choudhary was ruled out even before the start of the season.

But regardless, the trusted shoulders of Dhoni – openers Devon Conway (672 runs) and Ruturaj Gaikwad (590), middle-order batters Ambati Rayudu (158 at a SR off 139.82), Rahane, Shivam Dube (418 runs at an average of 158.33), and star all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja (20 wickets and 190 runs at a SR of 142.85) proved enough to come second in the league stage and stay unbeaten in the playoffs.

On the night of the final, Gaikwad scored 26 off 16, while Conway put early pressure on GT with 47 off 25. Rahane and Rayudu kept the momentum going with 27 (13) and 19 (8). Dube remained unbeaten till the end on 32 off 21 while Jadeja (15* off 6) who picked the wicket of Shubman Gill in the first innings, gunned down 10 off 2 with a six and a four.

The trusted soldiers of Dhoni went about their job without any major fuss and at the end of two-month period are partying with the big fifth trophy in their cabinet.