Tushar Deshpande reveals how MS Dhoni's captaincy helped him get success in the IPL 2023

Tushar Deshpande ended the IPL 2023 as the highest wicket-taker for the Chennai Super Kings.

The 16th edition of Indian Premier League saw a number of uncapped Indian talents making some big impacts and impressed everyone with their abilities. The likes of Rinku Singh, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Jitesh Sharma, and some more youngsters made big impacts for their teams. Then, there was another uncapped pacer who was one of the reasons that the Chennai Super Kings won their fifth IPL title. He was Mumbai pacer Tushar Deshpande, who ended up as the highest wicket-taker for CSK in the IPL 2023.

The 28-year-old made his IPL debut for Delhi in 2020, played only five games, and was released. Then, CSK signed him in 2022, and he played just two games. But some injuries to the key bowlers in 2023 helped him get games for CSK in 2023, and he made the most of the opportunity. Tushar ended up with 21 wickets in 16 innings at an economy rate of 3/45. This season became a career-changing moment for the 28-year-old, and he admitted that playing under MS Dhoni has changed his life.

"MS Dhoni keeps everything very simple"- Tushar Deshpande on his CSK stint

Deshpande struggled in the first few games and conceded runs with high economy. As a result, CSK dropped him and gave a chance to Rajvardhan Hangargekar. But the 28-year-old got his place and delivered some match-winning performances. He became the wicket-taking bowler for the team and bowled tough overs at death. After his phenomenal season, Deshpande spoke about his performances and revealed how MSD helped him gain confidence.

In an interview with the Indian Express, he said that he followed everything that the CSK skipper asked him to do during the tournament. Deshpande said, "MS Dhoni is a selfless man who keeps things straightforward. He keeps things simple and will be there for you at difficult times. I’ll just do what he says, like a soldier. He has a pretty defined plan. You must take these steps, and then you must put them into action. Additionally, he will provide freedom, and if necessary, he will speak up. He advised me to remain composed in order to play at my best."

The 28-year-old is not the only one who has credited MSD for the success. There have been many players who have lauded the CSK skipper, who gives confidence to the players. MSD used Deshpande in every role possible. He bowled in the power play, middle overs, and even in the death overs. Despite conceding runs at a higher economy, Dhoni kept his faith in him, which paid off in the end.