IPL 2020 | Albie Morkel praises MS Dhoni; feels consistency key to CSK's success

Retired South African all-rounder and former CSK player, Albie Morkel praised MS Dhoni for his exceptional leadership qualities that brought the best out of every player. Morkel also stated that CSK's phenomenal record in IPL was achieved through the consistency of a core group of players over a long period.

Speaking to Sportstar, Morkel explained how CSK had maintained their good run of form since the inception of IPL in 2008. According to him, a good leader in Dhoni always helped CSK in setting targets and achieving them.

“He plays a big role. We all know how big Dhoni is in India. 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.”

He further added that Dhoni had a core group of players wherein he maintained a perfect balance of youth and experience. This combination helped CSK in the long run, helping them reach eight IPL finals out of the last 10.

“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."

MS Dhoni (left) and Albie Morkel (right)

“Consistency is their secret. Over the last few seasons, they have made the finals eight times out of 10."

Morkel was part of the South Africa Legends side for the Road Safety Series played in Mumbai. Although the event was called off after the initial stages due to the coronavirus outbreak, Morkel enjoyed every bit of action as he played against some of the legends of the game. However, Morkel stated that professional cricket in his life was over and gleefully accepted the reality of life and moved on.

“I have accepted that my time is over. You need to move on. I have spent fantastic years with CSK who are still very successful.”