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| We are an all-round side, says Dhoni | | | CHENNAI: Chennai Super Kings captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni is upbeat about the chances of his side in the ongoing IPL, saying that he has got an all-round team with some impact players in it.
Talking to the media at the launch of CSK merchandise on Thursday, Dhoni said that the core of the team was intact and he would expect a strong show by his side in this edition also.
"We have done pretty well in the all the five editions so far. Our batsmen have contributed to the success of the team. We have got cricketers who cover-up all the aspects so there is a good bunch of players to look up to. And you have someone like S Badrinath who has been so consistent with the bat. So it's a settled line-up," he said.
CSK have won the title twice and finished runners-up once in the five editions so far and they opened their campaign this season with a match against Mumbai Indians at home on April 6.
Dhoni said it was an added advantage of his side that they have some India players who have recently won a Test series against Australia.
"We have a quite a few players in the squad who have been part of the set up for some time now. Some of the players are coming into the tournament fresh from the series against Australia. So it is good to have players in form," said the India captain.
"You got to keep in mind that Test cricket is different from IPL. But the form of the players would be a big boost," he said.
Asked if he considers his India team-mates as impact players, Dhoni said, "It's not we don't rely on foreigners that much. We think Albie (Morkel) can provide the team with some big hits in the middle. At the same time the local players have also done well. "We have (Ravindra) Jadeja who is a talented cricketer. Plus most of the players do play their role to perfection. Whether it's openers or spinners they do the work properly. Players like Bravo, Hilfenhaus, Du Plessis have all played a crucial role. And most of the players in the team can create an impact so that is a good sign," Dhoni said.
It's barely 10 days the Australia Test series was over, but Dhoni said that the India players in his team were not tired.
"Actually we were not that tired. We had good practice session to begin with. (Stephen) Fleming (coach) and Co. have been here for the last five days and I had a good session on Wednesday. But certainly we are slowly getting into the groove and would work plenty and take it forward," he said.
Asked is he could bat higher up the order in the IPL, Dhoni said, "Look we have very good top-order batsmen who have played some fantastic cricket with us. They have been doing their job and helping the team with crucial contributions. "Starting from (Murali) Vijay, (Michael) Hussey, (Suresh) Raina, Badrinath all have contributed, so there is no need for me to come up the order. Albie Morkel comes after me and we both are aggressive cricketers so it helps our balance," he said. |
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