"He is the reason why CSK is so successful" - Dwayne Bravo on MS Dhoni

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) are all set to take on the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the opening encounter of the 15th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2022) at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. CSK's veteran all-rounder Dwayne Bravo shared his excitement at being a part of this year's cash-rich league.

Speaking in a pre-match interview, the seasoned campaigner highlighted how former skipper MS Dhoni has contributed significantly towards the success of the team over the years. He mentioned that the keeper has been instrumental in the franchise reaching great heights in the competition.

Bravo disclosed that being a senior player, his job will be to lead the team's bowling attack and guide the younger bowlers during the matches. He said:

"When the bowling group is concerned, normally there'll be a bowling leader and whether MS is the captain or not. So, the responsibility is on me to guide the bowlers as much as possible. I'll be standing at mid-on or mid-off and will be having conversations with the bowlers. MS had a good run, he is the reason why this franchise is so successful and it's good that he's still playing."

The 38-year-old labeled IPL as the "best tournament in the world" and stated that he looks forward to challenging himself against top quality players in the latest edition of the flagship T20 competition.

He added:

"For me, I enjoy competing and challenging myself. This is the best tournament in the world. Coming up against the best players, so my challenge is to see if I can continue to showcase my talent and contribute to my team's success. It's a younger bowling group. I see myself as the bowling leader. Looking to try and pass on as much as I can and just enjoy competing. The IPL is a tough tournament and I look forward to challenges and that's what keeps me going."

KKR elect to bowl first in the 1st match of IPL 2022

Shreyas Iyer won the toss and elected to field first against defending champions CSK in the inaugural fixture of the season. It is worth mentioning that this will be Ravindra Jadeja's first game as CSK captain in the tournament.

CSK playing XI: Ruturaj Gaikwad, Devon Conway, Robin Uthappa, Ambati Rayudu, Ravindra Jadeja (c), Shivam Dube, MS Dhoni (wk), Dwayne Bravo, Mitchell Santner, Adam Milne, Tushar Deshpande

KKR playing XI: Venkatesh Iyer, Ajinkya Rahane, Shreyas Iyer (c), Nitish Rana, Sam Billings (wk), Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Sheldon Jackson, Umesh Yadav, Shivam Mavi, Varun Chakaravarthy