The 2022 season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) was the worst in Chennai Super Kings (CSK) history as they managed just four wins over the course of the season. For only the second time in the history of the competition, the four-time champions failed to make the playoffs after finishing in 9th place on the table and narrowly avoiding a wooden spoon finish to arch-rivals Mumbai Indians (MI).
The season was a chaotic one for the Super Kings as their decision to hand over Ravindra Jadeja captaincy mid-way through the season backfired. Jadeja’s stint in the top job lasted just eight games as after CSK’s dismal start to the season, Dhoni returned to lead the team for the second half of the season.
One of the big reasons behind CSK’s poor season was the lack of experience in the bowling attack following the big blow of losing star pacer Deepak Chahar for the whole season. After buying him for Rs. 14 crore in the auction, CSK were left to play the entire 2022 season without Chahar’s services because of an injury.
However, the move forced CSK to play young pacers Mukesh Choudhan and Simranjeet Singh. Despite struggling for results in IPL 2022, the move has set CSK well for the future with both pacers showing rapid progress as the season progressed.
Left-arm pacer Mukesh became a reliable option for the Chennai-based franchise as he finished the season with a tally of 16 wickets in 13 matches. The 26-year-old revealed how skipper Dhoni played a big role in his stunning improvement during the 15th edition of the world’s richest league. He also revealed talking with the CSK skipper on a daily basis and how ‘friend’ Ruturaj Gaikwad helped him through the course of the season.
“I never thought I would play for Chennai Super Kings. When I was on the team bus (for the first time), Dhoni tapped me on the shoulder and I was like, ‘Oh this is happening with me’ and I felt very proud,” said Choudhary to Chennaisuperkings.com
“In my first two matches, I couldn’t perform to my potential. So, I used to talk to him (Dhoni) every day and also in between matches. Dhoni told me to believe in my abilities. Rutu (Ruturaj) is my friend… so he was always there with me, he supported me and gave me the confidence saying, ‘You have everything, you just have to believe in yourself because for every player it happens, where they go through this phase’,” he added.
At the 2022 IPL auction, Mukesh was purchased by CSK for his base price of Rs. 20 Lakhs. He is set to be retained by the franchise for the 2023 season.
