After a lackluster performance in the previous Indian Premier League (IPL) season, MS Dhoni’s Chennai Super Kings (CSK) are gearing up for redemption in IPL 2023. The four-time champions, who finished ninth in the 10-team tournament last year, are eager to bounce back and regain their winning ways. Ahead of the IPL 2023 opener between CSK and Gujarat Titans (GT), Rajasthan Royals all-rounder Riyan Parag praised Dhoni’s unrivaled finishing skills in white-ball cricket.
In a recent interview with news agency PTI, Parag said, “I have been doing the finishing role for the last three years now. There is just one name that comes to my mind which I also have said before, MS Dhoni. I do not think anyone else has mastered that art. Going into that role, I always look up to him, how he finishes games or how he takes the game deep.”
With what could be Dhoni’s final campaign at CSK, the Yellow Brigade returns to the iconic Chepauk for a full-fledged season at home since 2019. The team will meet the defending champions at the renowned Narendra Modi Stadium on Friday, eager to make a strong statement from the outset.
Meanwhile, Parag has been retained by the Rajasthan Royals for the upcoming season and is set to play the finisher role for his team. However, he admitted that he would prefer to bat at the No. 4 position in the RR lineup during IPL 2023. “If they (Royals) were to ask me where I want to bat, I would say No. 4. But, then, like always, I am open to bat wherever the team needs me and wherever they think I fit the best. It is a team game; whichever way the combinations match up, I am happy to contribute,” Parag added.
Led by Sanju Samson, the former champions Rajasthan Royals will commence their IPL 2023 campaign against 2016 winners Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium on Sunday.