‘Don’t play cricket in the mind…’: Tushar Deshpande reveals MS Dhoni’s advice during IPL 2023 – thesportstak

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) young speedster Tushar Deshpande revealed MS Dhoni’s motivational advice for him during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023. Deshpande initially struggled in the beginning of the tournament but he made a comeback and played a crucial role in CSK’s fifth IPL title. 

During the 2023 season, CSK faced an injury crisis within their pace bowling department, with Ben Stokes, Deepak Chahar, Sisanda Magala, Simarjeet Singh, and Mukesh Choudhary all sidelined by serious injuries.

In their absence, Deshpande led the attack alongside young talents like Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Matheesha Pathirana, and Akash Singh. Deshpande rose to the challenge, taking 21 wickets in 16 matches with an economy rate of 9.92.

Deshpande recalled his conversation with MS Dhoni during IPL 2023 preparation camp in Chepauk. 

“You have everything to succeed at international level. But you have to be calm during your run-up. Don’t get distracted by the crowd. Just take a deep breath, stay calm and bowl.’ If Mahi tells you that you have everything to be successful at international level, boss, that itself is an achievement,” Deshpande told ESPNcricinfo.
 

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His ability to take wickets in challenging situations has been crucial. He mentioned another instance where Dhoni’s advice had a significant impact on his approach.

Dhoni advised him to stick to his strengths and believe in himself during a match simulation in the nets.
 

“I was bowling good yorkers, but suddenly I bowled a bouncer and got hit for a 100-metre six. He asked me, ‘Kyun daala bouncer?’ [Why did you bowl the bouncer?] I told him I thought he was expecting the yorker. He told me, ‘Don’t play cricket in the mind. Yorker is a yorker and no one can hit you,. He was telling me we keep trying to play ahead of the game instead of staying in the present. The other thing he told me is to focus on my fitness, which is important for fast bowlers,” he told ESPNcricinfo.
 

Deshpande made his national debut during the tour of Zimbabwe in July 2024, where he recorded figures of 1-30 and secured his spot for the subsequent match. With IPL 2023 win CSK becomes one of the most successful IPL franchises as they have the most (5) joint titles. 

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