Three-time Indian Premier League champions Chennai Super Kings held a five-day training camp in Chennai earlier this month before the squad travelled to UAE for the upcoming season of the tournament. No other franchise held a camp like this, and in a recent interaction, CSK CEO Kasi Viswanathan revealed how CSK captain MS Dhoni convinced him to go ahead with the camp.
“When we announced the tournament is going to happen, I had reservations about conducting the camp here because the bio-bubble had to be created. In fact sent a message to him (asking) whether it will be worthwhile having a camp for 5 days before going to Dubai. But the captain was crystal clear in his thoughts,” Viswanathan said in a video uploaded on YouTube by CSK
“He (Dhoni) said ‘sir, we have not played for nearly 4-5 months. All of us need to get together in Chennai. We should be in a bio-bubble in Chennai so that we get used to that when we land in Dubai’.
“And also it helped in the boys getting in shape. This camp, though we had some reservations, has really helped. I am very happy we were able to host the camp.”
At the camp, several CSK players including Dhoni, Suresh Raina, Murali Vijay, Deepak Chahar, Ambati Rayudu, Shardul Thakur were present. Veteran India spinner Harbhajan Singh and all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja gave the camp a miss due to personal reasons.
“To get us back into the mix, this is very, very important. Even when we go to Dubai, we have to quarantine for six days. So this is crucial,” Rayudu said in the video.
“Now everyone is on the same page. No one has played cricket for 5 months. We all are equal. I think we will be better because we have the experience,” Chahar further added.
The 13th season of IPL kicks off from September 19th with the final to be played on November 10th.