What makes MI and CSK so consistent?
Remember those same set of toppers from school scoring in the 90s every time? Well that’s exactly what Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings are when we talk about the IPL, the world’s greatest professional T20 tournament.
MI and CSK have now featured in as many as five and eight finals respectively. But what is it that makes them so consistent? Let’s take a look:
1. Astute leaders
“The key to successful leadership is influence, not authority.”
That is perfectly relevant to the current captains of MI and CSK: Rohit Sharma and MS Dhoni respectively.
In 2013, MI struck gold when they handed over the captaincy to Rohit. As a captain, he is very different from Dhoni. While the latter is known for his flair, Rohit is someone who believes more in analytics and planning.
But both have been equally effective, and that has helped their sides establish a supremacy in this league.
2. Consistent core
Every season, MI and CSK have looked to retain their core, a strategy that has worked wonders for these sides. MI and CSK first met in an IPL final in 2010. Here are a few players common to both sides in 2019:
CSK - MS Dhoni, Suresh Raina, Murali Vijay
MI - Kieron Pollard, Lasith Malinga
Players like Ambati Rayudu, Dwayne Bravo, Aditya Tare and Harbhajan Singh have spent a majority of their careers at these sides, and were also a part of the 2010 final.
3. Grooming young talent
Indian fans will forever be thankful to the scouts of MI for grooming the raw talent in Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya.
These are players who once were bright prospects but now stand as India’s key players for a World Cup win in England. And all this just within a span of 4-5 years. The faith shown in such young players is what differentiates consistent teams from the rest.
4. Strong think-tank
These sides have persisted with a similar set of support staff for a long time now. By doing so, they have successfully allowed the relations between players and coaches to grow.
That not only develops a team sense but also helps the coaches to know the players well. When you have the backing of your coach and captain, you are motivated to do better.
5. Brilliant scouting system
Scouts are the unsung heroes behind the success journey of every team. These are the people who unearth promising talents, and Mumbai Indians are blessed with a few of them.
Pick up a talent, shape him up and you have a new resource ready. This is what consistent teams do over a period of time and this is exactly what will happen with MI’s latest find Rasik Salam, who is reportedly expected to stay back in Mumbai after the IPL.
In the T20 world of India, MI is the ice and CSK is the fire. Without them, fans will certainly be devoid of any air. That pretty much sums up the classical elements of Indian T20 cricket.