3 Indian Players whose careers took off since playing in CSK under MS Dhoni

MS Dhoni is arguably one of the best captains that the game has seen. He is the only captain to lead an international team to the Champions Trophy win, the T20 World Cup win, and a win in the ODI World Cup. This is not it. His records in the Indian Premier League also speak volumes about how he has done in his career. He is also the second-most successful captain in the IPL with four titles, behind only Rohit Sharma with five titles.

But when it comes to consistency, not many come close to MSD. He has led CSK to nine IPL finals out of 13 seasons. One of the main qualities of MS Dhoni as a captain is that he doesn't lead superstars; he makes an average performer into a big star and then achieves success. In this article, we will discuss three Indian players whose careers took a successful turn under MSD in the IPL.

3. Robin Uthappa 

Robin Uthappa had a forgettable season in the 2020 edition. He was part of the Rajasthan Royals. He played 12 games in that season, scored only 196 runs at a below-par average of 16.33 and a low strike rate of 119.51, and was released by the franchise. Later, he was moved to CSK for his final round of a superb IPL career. Uthappa featured in four games in the IPL 2021 and made 115 runs at a decent average of 28.75 with a strike rate of 136.90. In his last season, the former superstar scored 230 runs in 12 matches with a strike rate of 134.50.

2. Ambati Rayudu 

One of the most talented batters, who was once considered the solution to India's search for No. 4, Ambati Rayudu, was part of the Mumbai Indians in the initial part of his career. He played for MI from the 2010 to 2017 seasons and was part of three IPL winning seasons. He played only five games in his last season for MI, scoring 95 runs, and then was released. He joined CSK in 2018 and had his best IPL year with 602 runs and his maiden century. Since then, he has been a key member for CSK and was part of the 2018 and 2021 IPL winning CSK teams.

1. Ajinkya Rahane 

Former Indian Test vice captain Ajinkya Rahane was looking for a new team in the 2023 auction, and it was the four-time champion that roped him in at his base price. Once a captain of the Rajasthan Royals, he led RR for two seasons in 2018 and 2019, respectively. But he didn't have great numbers in four seasons. In 2020, he scored only 113 runs at 14.12. In the next season, he played only two games and scored only eight runs. Rahane scored 133 runs in seven games in the 2021 season. Later, he joined KKR in 2022 and played only three games. But since he joined CSK in 2023, the veteran has shown a new version of his batting skills. Rahane made his CSK debut with a 19-ball fifty, followed it up with 31 off 19 vs RR and 37 off 20 vs RCB, and is looking in great form.