He was a key cog in CSK's fifth IPL title win in the 2023 season.
A Chennai Super Kings (CSK) fast bowler has revealed how former franchise skipper MS Dhoni’s imperative words have helped him become better at his craft.
Bought during the last mega-auction in 2022 for his base price of INR 20 lakhs, Tushar Deshpande has evolved into an integral cog in CSK’s bowling attack.
Despite facing early challenges, Deshpande became a key contributor to CSK’s fifth IPL title win.
CSK encountered a significant injury crisis in their pace bowling unit during the 2023 season, with several crucial players, including Ben Stokes, Deepak Chahar, Sisanda Magala, Simarjeet Singh, and Mukesh Choudhary, all sidelined due to major injuries.
With these players unavailable, Deshpande took the lead in the bowling attack, working alongside emerging talents like Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Matheesha Pathirana, and Akash Singh. He rose to the occasion, securing 21 wickets in 16 matches with an economy rate of 9.92.
While his performance graph has shown a steep rise, Deshpande credited it to a motivating conversation he had with Dhoni during the IPL 2023 preparation camp at Chepauk.
Notably, Tushar Deshpande encountered a challenge during the opening game against Gujarat Titans (GT) in Ahmedabad. Although his bowling spell was costly, he received support from the seasoned MS Dhoni, who motivated him to continue striving.
Revealing Dhoni’s words, Deshpande told ESPNcricinfo, “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.”
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Earlier this year in July, Deshpande made his international debut during the Zimbabwe T20I tour.
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