Tushar Deshpande Shares MS Dhoni’s Inspiring Words That Led to CSK’s IPL 2023 Victory
New Delhi, India – Chennai Super Kings (CSK) seamer Tushar Deshpande revealed how inspirational words from MS Dhoni motivated him ahead of the 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL) season. Deshpande, who initially struggled, played a crucial role in CSK’s fifth title victory, solidifying his position in the bowling unit.
During the 2023 season, CSK faced a significant injury crisis within their pace bowling department, with Ben Stokes, Deepak Chahar, Sisanda Magala, Simarjeet Singh, and Mukesh Choudhary all sidelined by serious injuries. In their absence, Deshpande led the attack alongside young talents like Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Matheesha Pathirana, and Akash Singh. Deshpande rose to the challenge, taking 21 wickets in 16 matches with an economy rate of 9.92.
Deshpande recounted a motivating conversation with Dhoni at Chepauk during the IPL 2023 preparation camp. Dhoni told him, “You have everything to succeed at international level. But you have to be calm during your run-up. Don’t get distracted by the crowd. Just take a deep breath, stay calm and bowl.” Deshpande said, “If Mahi tells you that you have everything to be successful at international level, boss, that itself is an achievement.”
Despite an expensive spell in the season-opening loss to the Gujarat Titans (GT) in Ahmedabad, Dhoni encouraged him to persevere. Dhoni said, “You haven’t made any mistakes. You bowled all good balls. It was not your day today. In the next match repeat the same.”
Deshpande’s ability to take wickets in challenging situations has been crucial. He mentioned another instance where Dhoni’s advice had a significant impact on his approach. Dhoni advised him to stick to his strengths and believe in himself during a match simulation in the nets. Dhoni asked him, “Kyun daala bouncer?” [Why did you bowl the bouncer?] Deshpande replied that he thought the batsman was expecting a yorker. Dhoni told him, “Don’t play cricket in the mind. Yorker is a yorker and no one can hit you.”
Dhoni also emphasized the importance of fitness for fast bowlers. Deshpande made his national debut during the tour of Zimbabwe in July 2024, where he recorded figures of 1-30 and secured his spot for the subsequent match.
Doubts Revealed
Tushar Deshpande -: Tushar Deshpande is a cricket player from India who plays for the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) team in the Indian Premier League (IPL). He is a bowler, which means he throws the ball to the batsman.
MS Dhoni -: MS Dhoni is a very famous Indian cricketer known for his calm and smart captaincy. He has led the Indian cricket team to many victories and now plays for and captains the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the IPL.
CSK -: CSK stands for Chennai Super Kings, which is a cricket team in the Indian Premier League (IPL). They are one of the most successful teams in the league.
IPL -: IPL stands for Indian Premier League, which is a professional cricket league in India where different teams compete. It is very popular and watched by many people.
Seamer -: A seamer is a type of bowler in cricket who relies on the seam of the ball to make it move in the air or off the pitch. This makes it harder for the batsman to hit the ball.
Pace bowling department -: The pace bowling department refers to the group of fast bowlers in a cricket team. These bowlers bowl the ball at high speeds to challenge the batsmen.
Wickets -: In cricket, taking a wicket means getting a batsman out. It is a key part of the game and helps the bowling team to win.
National debut -: National debut means the first time a player plays for their country’s national team in an international match. For Tushar Deshpande, it was during a tour of Zimbabwe in July 2024.
Tour of Zimbabwe -: A tour of Zimbabwe means that the Indian cricket team traveled to Zimbabwe to play a series of cricket matches against the Zimbabwean team.
