"He may have felt hurt" - CSK CEO opens up on Ravindra Jadeja's cryptic tweets during IPL 2023

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja's cryptic "Karma" tweet during this year's Indian Premier League (IPL 2023) sparked a major controversy, with many fans suggesting that he wasn't happy with his place in the team.

Jadeja had to deal with "We want MS Dhoni" chants while batting, considering that the CSK skipper demoted himself to No.8 in the batting order. Speaking about the same, CSK CEO Kasi Viswanathan revealed that the southpaw may have been hurt by the proceedings.

He mentioned that while Ravindra Jadeja posted a tweet at that time, he never complained about the issue. Here's what Viswanathan told ESPNcricinfo Tamil:

"[Ravindra Jadeja] went in to bat, he had 5-10 balls left. In such situations, it can or can't click sometimes. But the thing is, he also knew Dhoni was to come in next, and he himself would get just 2-3 balls sometimes.

"In such situations, whenever he went in, the crowd used to welcome Dhoni. In a way, he may have felt hurt. Any player, for that matter, may have had that pressure. But he didn't complain about it even though he put out a tweet."

Viswanathan also spoke about the viral video after CSK's final league match, in which he was captured having a long discussion with Jadeja. He claimed that he wasn't pacifying the player, but was only talking about his on-field performance in the game.

The CSK official also emphasized that Jadeja has a lot of respect for MS Dhoni, pointing out how he dedicated his match-winning knock in the IPL 2023 final to the skipper, elaborating:

"It's all part and parcel of the game. After the last game, people saw videos online and assumed I'm pacifying Jadeja, but it wasn't like that. I was talking to him about the match, what he did. We didn't have any other discussion.

"Everyone knows in a team environment, what happens in the dressing room, no one is privy to it outside. We don't have any problem. He always had high respect for Dhoni. After the final also, he said, 'I dedicate this knock to Dhoni.' That is the kind of respect he has for MS."

It is worth mentioning that Ravindra Jadeja delivered a clutch knock in the IPL 2023 final against the Gujarat Titans (GT) at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. He remained unbeaten on 15 off six balls, helping his team chase down the revised 171-run target (15 overs) on the very last ball.

With 10 required off the final two deliveries, the left-handed batter smashed a stunning six followed by a four to take his team home.

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"Praised Ravindra Jadeja for the effort and confidence he showed" - Kasi Viswanathan on MS Dhoni's reaction after CSK's IPL 2023 victory

Kasi Viswanathan further stated that following CSK's five-wicket win (DLS method) over GT in the IPL 2023 final, MS Dhoni lauded Ravindra Jadeja for his batting exploits.

He noted that Dhoni was very satisfied to see Jadeja's performance, elaborating:

"He [MS Dhoni] said, "Look, the fifth title has been delivered." It's a big relief. He praised Jadeja for the effort and confidence he showed. It [Ahmedabad] was like a home ground for him [Ravindra Jadeja]. It was very satisfying. Everyone knows how Dhoni has brought up Jadeja from 2012 at CSK. He has the satisfaction of seeing a home-grown boy deliver the title for CSK.

Jadeja was one of the top performers with the ball for the Chennai-based side, bagging 20 wickets in the latest edition. Furthermore, he also mustered 190 runs in 12 innings at a strike rate of 142.85.