For years, the Chennai Super Kings have been defying odds and showcasing true grit and determination in the IPL, with credit going to superstars like MS Dhoni, Suresh Raina and Dwayne Bravo, who have helped the side win games from near-impossible situations. The character and self-belief of CSK coupled with a never say die attitude has helped the franchise win the IPL four times, the highest of any team in the league. As the newest edition of the biggest cricket league in the world approaches, Star Sports, official broadcasters of the TATA IPL 2023, had an interaction with India and CSK legend Harbhajan Singh, who spoke on who the trump card for CSK is, the strength and weaknesses of the side, who the X-Factor will be and how the team will fair in this year’s tournament.
Speaking exclusively to Star Sports, former India off-spinner Harbhajan Singh spoke on who he thinks the Trump Card for the Chennai Super Kings will be, he said “The one person who everyone should keep an eye on is Ravindra Jadeja, especially how he bats for CSK. He may be promoted up the order plus he has his four overs. If you look at it from a world cricket perspective, I don’t think there’s a better all-rounder than him. So I’m looking forward to seeing Ravindra Jadeja in the IPL. The X factor for me will be Ravindra Jadeja because he has been very successful in these conditions as a bowler and a batsman, he’s been playing there for so many years. So for me, he is definitely going to be the X factor for the side.”
Harbhajan also spoke on the strengths of the CSK side and how important their home advantage is, he said “The biggest strength of this team is MS Dhoni. He is the heart of the team. He knows the team very well and he is probably the best person to get the most out of each player in the team. CSK’s biggest home advantage is their crowd, the crowd boosts the morale of the team. The CSK crowd is such that even if the team loses or wins they will always back them.”
Harbhajan Singh also gave his pick on who the four overseas players for CSK should be, he said “Firstly I would select Ben Stokes, Moeen Ali ofcourse, Conway will definitely be in the side and Theekshana, before Pathirana because Theekshana will be more effective in Chennai. But if the match happens in a place like Mumbai, against Mumbai Indians, then I will select Pathirana because he bowls a lot like Malinga and spin doesn’t play a big factor over there. So if I have to select the four overseas players it would be Conway, Ben Stokes, Moeen Ali and Theekshana.”
Catch all the action from TATA IPL 2023 on television from March 31st-May 28th, 2023, on the Star Sports Network
