CHENNAI: 'Never go back,' is one of life's many truisms. Mahendra Singh Dhoni flipped the phrase when he heard that the Chennai Super Kings, his 'second home', were coming back. He couldn't 'think of not coming back to CSK' as 'it is a special place' for the wicket-keeper. "That thought of being with any other franchise," Dhoni told select reporters at a promotional event for India Cements on Friday, "was never a question." The 36-year-old, who was surprisingly in a very chatty mood, spoke about CSK's return, the lessons he learnt the last two years and how he manages to still be a ninja behind the stumps among other things. Excerpts:
CSK, the Indian Premier League and the auctions
On whether coming back to CSK was the most logical choice: A lot of people approached me, I can tell you that. I can't think of not coming back to CSK. What we have been as a team, how we have conducted ourselves, how the management has been, how the players have been, how the fans have been... I always keep saying 'it's like a second home to me'. The fans over here have adopted me, they accept me like one of their own. There can't be a bigger compliment than that.
On why he has never had a problem associating himself with CSK, even after their much chronicled issues: I had no clue which franchise I would go for when the IPL began in 2008. From there till the last match (in 2015), we became stronger as a team. I talk about the whole management. All those play a crucial factor. Cricket is not new for franchise owners. As a captain, it becomes easy. It becomes difficult when you have to explain everything. So when we lose, they already know the reasons why we lost because they understand the game. So there is less pressure on you. We were clear what we wanted was cricket. Everything else took a backseat, whether it was trying to get money out of endorsement. We respect our fans but we never did an outstanding campaign only for the fans. We knew if we take care of our cricket, the fans will be there. This side of the country has a strong understanding of the game. We have the biggest fan base across the country.
On what are CSK's biggest strengths: Fans. There is a lot of excitement. As far as the composition is concerned, we have retained a keeper and two batsmen—who can also bowl. A lot of areas are covered when it comes to top-order, we don’t have to go more left-handers. Who we get in the auction, that becomes tough to see as of now because if we are looking for a few players, a lot of other franchises are also doing the same. Once you have retained, you have that equation of keeping the price bracket in mind. We have to have a good strength of minimum 18 or 19 or 20 players. We may have to keep emotions aside, we may want somebody but if the price goes outside our range, then we will actually have to let him go because if we put in more money there, we may not make a complete side.
On whether they will target R Ashwin considering they are conscious of not being too emotional: As I said, it’s always a tough call. With Ashwin, we had the same thing in the past. We will definitely go for him in the auction. Ashwin being a local lad, we want a lot of local players in the side. We have to two RTMs but when and where we can use is the thing. I don’t think we can use it for Ashwin because we have already retained three Indian capped players. We have to buy him out in the auction. These are the things that it becomes difficult. We don’t know what margins to go for. What are the extremities. And there is no fixed price of someone. You look at the other players that we have got and then we can go for someone else because it gives the stability to the side. Ashwin will come first in the auction but as I said I have to wait and watch. I can’t put any number to it but we will try to get him for the reasons, I have said but at an auction it’s the price that dictates the terms.
On guarding against deliberate inflation at the auction table: That's the thing we will have to be watchful about. It's always a strategy and as I said we need to have the right mix because there will be an auction next year as well. You can always supplement players. Whichever areas you feel slightly weak, you can buy and trade a few players to get stronger in those areas. But the core group remains to be strong and that's what we will try to retain. But like you said, there may be inflation and so on. That's why I said we need to keep emotions to the side. If you back off one player that has had an inflated price, none of the teams are going to take him further at that point of time.
On whether Right To Match should continue at future auctions: I always felt that people were like ‘there shouldn’t be any retainership and stuff like that’. If I had played for 8 different franchises in 10 years then the association isn't there. But you want that sort of association, the franchisee to have a fan following. And that can only happen if the players stay in one franchisee for a longer duration. If you still don't want retainership after 10 years one of the ways is to say, ‘okay, we have goofed up in three auction right from the first auction. In fact four auctions… We still don't have players to retain from that group. We have been stupid’. But nobody says that. Anybody who doesn't want a retainership, they have to believe that these are the reasons. Because if you have a core group, you will retain once you have worked with them. Just because I have not done a good job doesn't mean some of the other franchises have not put effort. They have time to understand. Retainership is a good thing but who will get from now on in Right To Match (RTM) and so on will be very difficult to predict.
On the good lessons he has learnt in the two years he was out of CSK: What doesn’t kill you makes you strong. Definitely I am stronger. The whole of eight editions we qualified. But in those last two years, we were seventh once. It was a big learning curve for me and Stephen Fleming. Since he took over, we have always done well. Yes there were times we were under pressure needing to win four out of five but we have done it. But how do you know you are strong unless you are pushed into deep end?
Those two years made me stronger and gave a glimpse of what can be done when you do badly. It doesn't always work but you have a perspective for it. It is not something that I have not seen. I have seen ups and down when I was part of the national side where we didn't perform well when travelling. You have to know the reasons why you are not doing well. When you know the reasons, you can actually address the problem but you have to accept the reasons also.
South Africa series and wicket-keeping
On his views on the India - South Africa series: I won’t answer that, but I would say ‘look at the positives’. To win a Test, we need 20 wickets, regardless of whether you are playing at home or away. We have taken 20 wickets (in both Tests in SA). If you can’t take 20 wickets, what’s the next thing? You try and force a draw. How can you draw a Test, is by giving less runs and by scoring more runs. Third option is never an option. Because you are always looking to win a match. The biggest positive is that we are taking 20 wickets which means we are always in a position to win a Test. Once you start scoring runs, you are there.
On the secrets behind his reaction time: I think it’s the unorthodox keeping style that I have got. Stephen Fleming always said that he has never seen me keep wickets in net sessions in his nine years of IPL coaching. I think a lot of it needs to be done in the mind. When you are committing an error that’s when you go back and work on your basics. Keepers don’t really need a lot of catching. I have seen over exaggeration from some keepers; they start going on the floor, ‘very frog style’ of keeping and ‘jaw is parallel to the floor’… What is a keeper supposed to do? You can drop 100 balls, but whenever there is a catch you take it and whenever there is a stumping opportunity you effect it.
Let’s be practical. Cricket is about taking wickets, scoring runs and taking catches. People say when you go through a rough patch, your sound technique will help you get back into form. At the same time, you have to adapt and know your limitations, which is more important than striving to achieve perfection. It may not work for everyone, but it has worked for me. In the history of cricket, there should, at least, be one batsman who is so good in technique having never got out. But there is none.
Cricket is the only game where there is no need for perfection. In golf, you have to hit straight; table tennis and tennis, you have to keep the ball in field of play. It’s only cricket that allows you to play 360 degree. It’s a simple sport, but we make it complicated.