“That tells you how the man could get a team together” – Sunil Gavaskar hails MS Dhoni’s leadership ahead of IPL 2023

Sunil Gavaskar recently hailed Chennai Super Kings (CSK) captain MS Dhoni for his leadership skills ahead of the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) season. The cricketer-turned-commentator pointed out how Dhoni got the team together to win the IPL 2018 trophy.

For the uninitiated, the Chennai-based franchise made their way back into the tournament after serving a two-year ban. As per reports, CSK and RR were suspended for two years for their involvement in the 2013 corruption scandal.

Speaking to Star Sports, Sunil Gavaskar said:

"I think when CSK returned and won the IPL trophy, it was absolutely amazing because the team had not been together for two years and they had moved out with different franchises and suddenly they come back again. That tells you leadership. That tells you how the man could get a team together again after that gap.”

He continued:

“Sometimes you know, first year, second year there is a team spirit that happens but to get all of them together after the gap is remarkable.”

Chennai made a superb comeback, finishing second in the league stage. They defeated SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) by eight wickets at the Wankhede Stadium to lift the title.

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“The team needed 20 odd runs in the final over and he just smashed it” – Sunil Gavaskar on MS Dhoni

Sunil Gavaskar also recalled MS Dhoni’s heroics with the bat in the IPL 2018 season, where he amassed 455 runs in 16 games at an average of 75.83, including three half-centuries.

The cricketer-turned-commentator also remembered the wicketkeeper-batter's entertaining knock of unbeaten 79 off 44 balls against Punjab Kings (PBKS) in that season.

“I think therefore that particular year and some of the shots that he played, I remember one game where the teams needed 20 odds runs in the final over and he just smashed it around from everywhere from outside the off stump, he was hitting it over long on for sixes!," he said.

Gavaskar continued:

“We were used to seeing that from Dhoni but even those little touches of his where he makes a fielder, a player feel 7 feet tall, are the touches that make him stand out from the other.”

MS Dhoni and Co. will kick off their IPL 2023 campaign against the Hardik Pandya-led Gujarat Titans at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on March 31.

The Ranchi-born cricketer is rumored to announce his retirement from the IPL at the end of the 2023 season.