IPL 2024 is here, and the opening fixture offers a mouth-watering contest between the league’s most successful side, CSK, and RCB in a face-off between World Cup winner MS Dhoni and one of the finest batters of our generation, Virat Kohli.
The excitement around the event steadily moves towards fever pitch as this could prove to be Thala Dhoni’s final season in the famed yellow of the city.
Dhoni reserved a twist before the fixture as he handed over the captaincy to young batter Ruturaj Gaikwad in a surprise move, typical of the former skipper.
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Ahead of the highly anticipated clash between the sides CSK head coach Stephen Fleming addressed the media gathered at the sprawling MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on the eve of game day.
Shedding light on getting the players to buy into the ethos of the team, Fleming said it wasn’t a hard task to get the players inducted into the special culture prevalent at CSK, which has proven immensely fortuitous.
“It is not hard. There is no great secret. Just some basic principles,” he began as he elucidated on the team’s culture.
“We don’t do anything mysterious or complicated, so it is easy to induct players,” Fleming continued.
The Tamil Nadu-based franchise has enjoyed a long and successful association with players from New Zealand, including Fleming himself, and the five-time winners have a couple of quality additions from the land down under in the form of ICC ODI World Cup revelation Rachin Ravindra and compatriot Daryl Mitchel.
Chennai splurged a bomb on the acquisition of Mitchell, who was roped in for the high price of 14 Crore Indian rupees, while Ravindra was snapped up for a bargain of 1.8 Crore INR.
“It is nice to have such a composition as they understand me. Half the players don’t understand me so it is good to have some who do,” the head coach jested.
“We have a good gameplan and very talented players, in between that there is always some ups and downs, but we try to stay level through all that,” the Kiwi coach said.
The former New Zealand skipper touched upon the moment Dhoni decided to hand over the reins to Gaikwad revealing there wasn’t a dry eye in the dressing room as the former skipper broke the news.
“(When Dhoni broke the news) there was a lot of emotions. A whole lot of tears. There wasn’t a dry eye in the dressing room. Everyone was moved. Last time (when CSK changed the captain) we weren’t as prepared for MS to move and for a change in leadership.
“There was also a round of congratulations to Ruturaj. He isn’t the most vocal person, but he has qualities to lead us in the right direction,” said Fleming.
He added that the side are now more equipped to undergo the metamorphosis as compared to a couple of years back when the team’s plan to name Ravindra Jadeja as the skipper did not pan out the way they wanted.
Gaikwad has been considered a home-grown kid by CSK, who backed the opener at every turn as he repaid their faith season after season in runs, trophies and orange caps. And now as the ultimate vote of confidence, Dhoni has passed the skipper’s band on to the opener while he remains right behind the youngster to guide him towards a new dawn.
RCB Coach Mo Bobat Not Bogged Down by Previous 15 Years
RCB director of cricket Mo Bobat succeeded Fleming in the press conference and spoke about the direction the Karnataka-based unit will look to travel in.
The side opted for a minor rebranding activity as they altered their name to Royal Challengers Bengaluru to align with the city they represent and expressed that it was crucial to take cognizance of the history behind the unit.
“It is my first year here so I am not bogged down by the previous 15 years,” the Englishman began.
“RCB have a rich history and we have to take cognizance of the same. We have a fantastic group of players and they are fit,”
“We want to focus on playing good cricket and not think about trophies,” he asserted.
The RCB women’s team, which broke the side’s duck in terms of trophy haul, could serve as a precursor to grander things to follow as the side believes.
“It is a great achievement by the women’s team. Credit to Luke and the entire team,” he lauded the side.
“However, it is a different competition and hence we can’t think too much about it. We are focused on what we can do tomorrow,” he concluded.
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