Former Chennai Super Kings player Ambati Rayudu humorously suggested that the iconic wicketkeeper MS Dhoni need not be fully fit to make an impact in the upcoming IPL 2024 season. Rayudu fondly reminisced about his time with CSK celebrating victories in the 2018 2021 and 2023 seasons.
Reflecting on his inaugural season with the men in Yellow Rayudu disclosed that nearly half of the Chennai Super Kings team members persevered despite not being in optimal condition yet they managed to accomplish their goals.
Here’s what Ambati Rayudu had to say on Star Sports Press Room on MS Dhoni’s bad knee and the players’ ability to play through niggles:
“I think with CSK, since the time I joined in 2018, I don’t think half the team was fit (laughs). Most of us were carrying (niggles). With Mahi Bhai (Dhoni), I don’t think he has been fully fit for the past 3-4 years. But whenever the time has come, the crucial matches come, he has always stood up.”
Ambati Rayudu
Ambati Rayudu had an outstanding IPL 2018 season with the bat, amassing 602 runs in 16 games at a great average of 43 and a strike rate of 149.75. That season enabled him make an impressive comeback to the Indian ODI team.
Ambati Rayudu Shares Entertaining Incident Involving MS Dhoni and Shane Watson
Ambati Rayudu said how CSK realized that fielding was probably not their strongest strength back then. He also revealed a story about MS Dhoni telling Shane Watson not to take risks on the field.
On this, he stated:
“Every game we used to think that if the par score was 180, we would give 200 because of our fielding. Mahi bhai always used to tell Shane Watson, ‘You’re not moving. If the ball comes straight to you, you catch it. You don’t dive. We want you to bat.”
Ambati Rayudu
Despite their fielding issues, CSK won the title, and Rayudu believes one of the primary reasons for that was their ability to make the most of their resources.