Chennai Super Kings (CSK) are comfortably sitting in second place in this year's Indian Premier League (IPL) table with 13 points after 11 games. Unless something very much out of the blue happens, they are well poised to once again reach the playoffs.
If they do qualify, CSK would have made it to the playoff rounds for the 12th time in their IPL history, more than any other franchise. In the previous 11 instances, they have made it to the final nine times, winning the trophy four times. All in all, along with rivals Mumbai Indians, they are the gatekeepers of the IPL with their immense success in the tournament over the years.
MORE: Make your IPL 2023 predictions and win prizes with Dafabet in Premier League Million
According to cricket legend and former India coach Ravi Shastri, much of CSK's success should be attributed to skipper MS Dhoni whose patience and calmness with even players who may be struggling in one season has helped those very same teammates become a nightmare for opponents in the next campaign.
How has MS Dhoni made CSK a powerhouse?
"He's (Dhoni) a master at creating combination. It's intuitive. it's understanding. Probably persisting with a guy who might not be good in 2022, but having the foresight to believe that he'll be very good in 2023, giving him the confidence in 2022 to go through the grind. Thinking ahead. He would have done that with few players. I won't be surprised. I am not in the mix there. I won't know," said Shastri speaking to ESPNCricinfo.
🗣 "Dhoni is a master at creating a combination"
— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) May 9, 2023
Ravi Shastri explains MSD's success 💪 #MSDhoni #IPL2023 #CricketTwitter pic.twitter.com/LWtWyzNI1V
"But definitely he thinks in that fashion. When you look at this side now, who looks almost certain to make it to the playoffs and looks extremely dangerous when it comes to the playoffs, two games in Chennai, it's a team that can go the distance. Because it's already settled. If there is any tinkering, it will be because of injury. Otherwise, they've got it right."
MORE: Latest betting odds for IPL 2023, bet on Dhoni's matches here
MS Dhoni IPL stats
| Innings | Not Outs | Runs | Average | 100s | 50s | 4s | 6s | Scoring rate | Top-scored |
| 213 | 85 | 5054 | 39.48 | 0 | 24 | 348 | 237 | 135.86 | 23 |
When will MS Dhoni play next?
Dhoni and CSK will be next in action against Delhi Capitals in IPL on May 10, Wednesday.
