Albie Morkel, former South Africa all-rounder who enjoyed a formidable stint at Chennai Super Kings (CSK), recently heaped praise on MS Dhoni’s astute leadership skills.
Under MSD, Morkel played 78 matches, scoring 827 runs, with a tally of 76 wickets. The big-hitting left-hander achieved a top score of 71 and registered best bowling figures of 4/32.
With Morkel, Dhoni clinched the trophies of IPL in 2010 and 2011 and entered into numerous finals. However, he could not replicate his heroics for Royal Challenger Bangalore (CSK) in the subsequent editions of the tournament.
“Dhoni plays a big role. We all know how big Dhoni is in India, and the brand of cricket he plays. He is one of the best T20 and white-ball players ever to play the game, and if you get him as a leader, it is going to bring success as he knows how to get the best out of his players,” Morkel told Sportstar.
More importantly, Dhoni formed a nucleus around CSK involving several superstars featuring Dwayne Bravo, Suresh Raina, Ravindra Jadeja, Faf du Plessis, Dwayne Smith, and Brendon McCullum.
“It all comes from keeping your core group of players together for a long time and have the same captain, Dhoni, for all seasons except for the two years when they weren’t part of the competition,” continued Morkel.
CSK, as a result, has won three IPL titles in history, including a win during their heroic comeback in 2018. “Consistency is their secret. Over the last few seasons, they have made the finals eight times out of 10,” concluded Morkel.
