"It will change dramatically" - Tom Moody on future of CSK post MS Dhoni's retirement

Former Australian cricketer Tom Moody believes that Chennai Super Kings (CSK) will undergo drastic changes once skipper MS Dhoni announces his retirement.

He opined that while Dhoni is expected to be a part of the CSK team management, there could be a shift in approach to how things transpire on the field. The veteran coach pointed out how Chennai looked a different team under Ravindra Jadeja in the previous edition.

During a discussion on ESPNcricinfo, Moody explained:

"It will change dramatically on the field, for sure. He will still have a presence because I'm sure he will still be there in some mentor role or coaching role. We saw last year when Jadeja took over the leadership, suddenly it didn't have the same feel about the team.

"The impact of leadership is significant in the IPL and we have seen historically that the very well-led teams are more often than not in top four."

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In the video, former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar emphasized that even with a new captain, the Chennai-based side are unlikely to adopt a chopping and changing policy, suggesting:

"The culture is set now. So, you'll have a new captain, and you might see him making slightly different calls on the field, but I don't see with the new captain, CSK suddenly getting into chopping and changing."

Notably, Jadeja was named the new captain of CSK prior to the start of last year's IPL. However, the all-rounder relinquished the position after just eight matches, and Dhoni was once again back at the helm of the team.

"Easier for someone like Piyush Chawla or Ajinkya Rahane to succeed in a franchise like MI or CSK" - Tom Moody

Tom Moody further stated that guys like Piyush Chawla and Ajinkya Rahane have thrived because of the environments that they have had in Mumbai Indians (MI) and Chennai, respectively.

He mentioned that both franchises believe in backing their players, even allowing them to fail. The 57-year-old highlighted that such an approach brings the best out of people, elaborating:

"It is easier for someone like Piyush Chawla or Ajinkya Rahane to succeed in a franchise like MI or CSK because they feel like their skill is backed and they are trusted and given the opportunity to fail. Everyone fails, and it's the case of making sure that person still feels that they belong and they are trusted in what they are doing."

Both Chawla and Rahane have performed admirably for their respective teams this season. With 20 wickets from 14 games, Chawla is the highest wicket-taker for MI in IPL 2023. Rahane, on the other hand, has mustered 282 runs in nine innings at a strike rate of 169.87.