MS Dhoni credits CSK success to presence of 'like-minded' players

MS Dhoni

Chennai Super Kings captain MS Dhoni attributed the team’s success to the presence of like-minded players in the set-up and the ability of their coach Stephen Fleming to successfully manage the team environment.

Briefing the press at Abu Dhabi ahead of IPL 7, the first phase of which will commence from April 16 at the United Arab Emirates, Dhoni said: “Right from the first edition of IPL, we have got like-minded players in our side. It is not that we did a background check on anyone before getting them. I am sure our coach Flem [Stephen Fleming] will agree that close to 95 per cent of them we got have been like-minded people, though we did have some difficulty in managing a couple of them.”

“But, overall, we give a lot of emphasis on the dressing-room environment. What we want individuals to do is to create an environment where each and every one is in a good mental condition to perform, and that can only happen if the players in the dressing room are helping each other. So that has been the case for us always.”

Acknowledging the role played by the team coach Fleming, who will be working with the team for the 6th consecutive season, Dhoni said: “We have certain officials who also move in the same direction and work together, and that make the job relatively easy. This is why our coach is very relaxed as you can see as there will be no fights going on in the dressing room in the next couple of months.

“Our coach really helps in that because more often than not as captain I’m busy with the senior players of the team, and at times I won’t really know what is happening in the dressing room with some of the guys who are not playing. Flem takes the responsibility and I try to manage all the individuals who play a part in the game.”