Thank you CSK for giving us our Dhoni back

Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger are two of the finest examples of a manager defining a club's legacy but never before have we seen a player who defined a franchise as much as MS Dhoni defines CSK. You could make a case for Messi and Ronaldo at their respective clubs but none of them have had the influence Dhoni has had over CSK for the past ten years.

This was more than evident during this year's IPL where Dhoni turned back the clock with his vintage displays with the bat, scoring 455 runs at a strike rate of 150.66 and an average of 75.83, 6 runs short of having his best ever IPL season at a time when critics were arguing his suitability for the shortest format.

MSD the master tactician was also back to the fore this season as he showed no signs of rustiness having not captained for long with a string of innovative decisions such as shuffling Rayudu's batting position according to the opposition and sending in Bhajji and Chahar to disrupt KXIP bowler’s rhythm when they were on top in a must-win match for them, decisions you might not have seen from him in the past few years.

Alternatively, CSK could be thankful for having Dhoni as their skipper as there can be no one else who could have won the title with this squad, even Williamson who had a stellar bowling line up to back him. Dhoni brings the best out of his squad and his magic worked big time at CSK this year

Dhoni is a captain who always makes the most out of what is at his disposal and that CSK found a new hero in almost every match this season, speaks volumes about the belief Dhoni had in his players which was reciprocated by the management's belief in him.

Dhoni did not have the same backing from the owners of RPSG he had enjoyed at CSK

This is not to question Dhoni's professionalism as he is the consummate professional who once even put national duty before his just-born daughter and has numerous times during his chequered career put his national duty before his family.

He gave his all for the Pune team during his two years there and management tried to create a CSK like set-up by hiring most of their support staff, including head coach, Stephen Fleming. But Dhoni did not feel as comfortable as he was at CSK and coupled with the management's inexplicable decision to strip him of his captaincy in his second season, Dhoni would probably be yearning for his CSK days.

He did not enjoy the same backing from his owners in Pune and he had a quiet two seasons for the franchise, even if they had a successful run to the final which was more down to the individual brilliance of Stokes and Unadkat than a collective team performance.

So, a return to his adopted home and fans who have treated him as one of their own and a management which gave him all the freedom and never demanded anything provided him with the missing spark which reflected in his approach on the field where he was back to his best.

Dhoni’s timely reminder of his finishing capabilities should also bode well for the Kohli and the Indian team in a World Cup year where he is expected to resume his finishing duties with Hardik Pandya proving to be a mixed bag in the role so far.

Dhoni's return to form is a much-needed boost for Hardik Pandya

The CSK-Dhoni partnership might only last a few more years as a player with Dhoni, dare I say at the twilight of his career but you could envisage him staying with CSK once his playing days are over in a head coach or a managerial capacity as his influence around the franchise is too big to be missed.

Gracias CSK, as I speak for every CSK and Indian cricket team fan for giving us our beloved Dhoni back at the right time, ahead of a crucial year for Indian cricket with tours of England, New Zealand and Australia to come ahead of the World Cup in England next year.