‘He may be the greatest player but we have to let him go…’: MS Dhoni puts CSK’s interest ahead of individual needs.

If things don’t fall in place, Chennai Super Kings don’t hesitate to let a ‘great player’ go. For Dhoni and CSK, the team always comes first. One of the biggest reasons Chennai Super Kings won five IPL titles is their policy of putting the team’s interest ahead of everything else. MS Dhoni deserves a lot of credit for that. Over the years, the legendary former India keeper-batter has built a strong culture in the CSK setup. The core to that is backing the right players at the right time, irrespective of names. Dhoni believes in getting the maximum out of an individual rather than focusing on getting the biggest names on board. Giving an insight on how CSK functions, Dhoni said when they get a big name on board who is different from the team’s approach, he expects the individual to take a step towards adjusting to the team’s needs. But if things don’t fall in place, they don’t hesitate to let the player go, even if he’s a great cricketer. For Dhoni and CSK, the team always comes first. “We get a very good player on our team, but he’s drastically different from our environment. So what do we look for? We want him to take that one step towards the team’s goal and we are happy to take three steps towards him. But let’s say that’s not the case. The second best thing is you keep doing what you are doing but don’t disrupt us. That’s the second-best option. The third is you have to let him go. Whether it’s business or sports, you want to do well at the end of the day. The think tank’s goal is to get the most out of the individual. If he’s very good for the team, I will try whatever ways to ensure he becomes an asset. “But he also needs to be willing to take that step. If he doesn’t take that first step, I can take the second option but at some point of time (I will have to take a call). I don’t want the whole team to adapt to the individual because that is wrong. So, you have to let him go. He may be the greatest player but you have to let him go. Somebody else will come and take his place. He may not be as good as him but he will help the team perform better,” Dhoni said in a video shared by CSK. Not the best of seasons for CSK and the need to feel feared IPL 2024 was not the best of years for CSK. Only the third time in the 15 years that CSK participated in the IPL, the Yellow Army failed to make it to the playoffs. Ruturaj Gaikwad, who took over the mantle from Dhoni ahead of the season, did not have the time best of times with the bat. The Injuries and unavailability of key bowlers like Matheesha Pathirana and Mustafizur Rahman did not help their cause.