Former CSK coach Michael Hussey heaped praise on MS Dhoni’s ability to take the pressure off his teammates even as they were being watched by millions of fans. The ex-Australian batter has played under Thala for multiple seasons in the IPL and has been closely associated with him in the past. Labeling Dhoni as a special guy, Hussey recalled how the then CSK captain had taken a different route in convincing his players to not take pressure to their heads.
How Dhoni warded off pressure in CSK
Speaking to Stick to Cricket, Hussey revealed that there was an instance during the IPL when Dhoni told his CSK teammates, particularly the nervous youngsters, that it didn’t matter if the team won or lost, and that the players must enjoy themselves. The then CSK captain told his teammates that while they should try and execute their skills to perfection, he wanted to win the fair play award. A baffled Hussey recalled that Thala had told his players not to argue with the umpires at any cost. The ex-CSK batter said that it wasn’t until later that he realized that it was Dhoni’s way of taking the pressure off.
“He’s a special guy. He sees the game differently to most and that’s what I love about him. I think his greatest strength, particularly in a place like India, is there are so many players and there’s so much pressure & stress and Dhoni has got this beautiful way of taking the pressure off,” Hussey said.
“He sees the game differently to most!”
Huge praise from Mike Hussey for the great MS Dhoni.
pic.twitter.com/3XnxM9X18e
— Stick to Cricket (@StickToCricket) December 2, 2025
The upcoming season has been built up as ‘one last hurrah’ for Thala, with several former CSK players and pundits even claiming that Dhoni might just retire midway through the season. Whether that happens or not can’t be ascertained right now.
However, we know that Dhoni has been training for the IPL 2026 season. According to the Times of India, the IPL legend has been training for the tournament since September. Despite battling age and injuries, Dhoni has been giving hours and hours to the sport.
The post ‘Want to win fair play award’: Ex-CSK coach reveals baffling Dhoni strategy to ward off pressure appeared first on Inside Sport India.
