CSK's past was glorious, present isn't great but future could be grand

Before the sun set on the western coast on Friday, there was uncertainty and trepidation among the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) fans. Their IPL 2022 season had turned pear-shaped nearly a month ago, and even the re-appointment of MS Dhoni as skipper was not enough to change their fortunes.

There were also murmurs about rifts within the camp – something unheard of when talking about CSK. There were rumours that Ravindra Jadeja would never play for the franchise again. Then there was the unnecessary Ambati Rayudu retirement saga, and the continued eyebrow-raising around the exclusion of Rajvardhan Hangargekar, considered one of India’s brightest young all-rounders.

So, when Dhoni walked out for the toss, there was a hushed silence around the Brabourne Stadium. It was almost as if the CSK faithful had consigned themselves to another night of mediocrity in Mumbai. Another night where their revered heroes would fail. And another evening where they would only be able to reminisce about their glorious past – all while wondering how bad the present has become.

But then, all of a sudden, Dhoni wins the toss. The decibel levels, almost immediately, are propelled several notches. Ian Bishop has to wait for it to die down, and after the relatively inconsequential query of asking what CSK wanted to do, he asks the question everyone has been longing to get an answer for.

When Dhoni is asked whether he will be around in a playing capacity next season, there is a wry smile. For a moment, thousands of hearts clad in CSK yellow crash to the ground. The last time he said “Definitely Not”, it was the cause of celebration – a redemption cycle that concluded with the franchise lifting the IPL title in 2021. But if he were to mutter those same words again, it would mean an end to this eternal CSK-Dhoni relationship. Just like that.

To each CSK’s fans delight, he confirms that he will be around for at least one season. The reason, for those at the ground, is heart-warming. Their Thala, just to thank them, will be playing another season. He might even be captain for all we know. But the fact that he will be around is enough to occupy a chunk of the back pages in the country. And a significant chunk of every CSK fan’s soul.

From that point, the result does not matter to those who have turned up in yellow. This has, at the cost of sounding ridiculous, become a carnival for them. They aren’t worried anymore that they might finish last, or that they might only win four games out of 14 in a full-fledged IPL season.

They don’t even care that this campaign has only exposed shortcomings that everyone thought had surfaced at the auction. It’s about Dhoni. And for a change, it’s not really about the past anymore. Or the present. It’s about what the future holds.

A lot of the attention is around Dhoni and understandably so. Over the past decade, there haven’t been many crowd-pullers of his ilk. This time, too, things aren’t very different. But more than Dhoni the batter and the wicket-keeper, his role as captain and possible mentor has CSK fans grinning from ear to ear.

Much has been made about their approach in the auction and how they let go of certain players (read Faf du Plessis). A lot was also made about their splurge on Deepak Chahar – accusations that have grown because he unfortunately missed the entire season. What was overlooked, though, was that CSK had, against their usual tack, opted for plenty of young talent. It wasn’t talent that everyone thought would make a mark in the IPL. As it often happens with them, though, it might just be what they need.

CSK's youngsters have impressed in the chances they have gotten

A considerable portion of IPL 2022 has seen Prashant Solanki warm the bench. He was snapped up by the defending champions for a decent sum, meaning that with every exclusion, there was head-scratching. In the last couple of games, however, he has had his time in the IPL sun. And on early evidence, it seems he could be very useful moving forward.

He doesn’t toss the ball up as generously as Yuzvendra Chahal. Nor does he have the accuracy of Rashid Khan. But he has a good head on his shoulders, illustrated by the fact that he only came on to bowl against the Rajasthan Royals in the 15th over, and still managed to account for Shimron Hetmyer and Yashasvi Jaiswal.

Similarly, Mukesh Choudhary and Simarjeet Singh have shown plenty of spark. Neither has set the IPL stage alight per se but have portrayed they can be very dexterous with the new ball. Alongside Deepak Chahar, Mukesh in particular, could morph into a different beast.

C Hari Nishanth and Narayan Jagadeesan, too, have performed exceedingly well in domestic cricket and could take up the batting mantle once CSK’s experienced stars decide to hang up their boots. And once Hangargekar improves on his control, he could be as impactful an all-rounder as any in the country.

The biggest revelation, though, has to be Matheesha Pathirana. Dubbed “Baby Malinga”, the Sri Lankan youngster has taken everyone aback with his awkward action. He has also surprised a few with his consistency. Against the Gujarat Titans, he picked up two wickets (Hardik Pandya and Shubman Gill). He returned wicket-less against the Royals but illustrated that he could shoulder their bowling burden for the foreseeable future, provided he stays fit.

In many ways, Pathirana and Solanki aren’t cricketers CSK has been renowned for nurturing. Under Dhoni’s stewardship, hardly any wrist-spinners have come through the CSK door. Raw pace and raw fast-bowling ability has also not been one of the virtues the veteran is usually after. But with the chances they have given to this pair, it seems that Dhoni and the franchise are ready to evolve according to the demands of the IPL.

And that, more than anything else, is what might paint a better picture for the future. It’s not that Dhoni will be back as captain for probably one more season. Or that Chahar and Jadeja will return, chomping at the bit to leave their mark. It’s that they now have a good core of youngsters to work with and build a team that can again dominate.

Dhoni might not be around for the entirety of this cycle (well, you never know) but if CSK can get the best out of these cricketers, then their upper ceiling could be exponentially high. Their past was glorious. Their present hasn’t been too great. But it seems their future could be grand again.

A lot of it is conjecture. And for all we know, CSK could again look for experienced hands at the auction next year. But there is just a glimmer that they might be willing to trust these youngsters and back them to the hilt. The next generation of CSK cricketers haven’t done their reputations any harm either.