Published: Feb 16, 2016, 01:07 PM (IST)
Edited: Feb 16, 2016, 01:12 PM (IST)
India skipper MS Dhoni will initially find it difficult to get hold of the new Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Rising Pune Supergiants after leading Chennai Super League for 8 years. RPS franchise owner Sanjiv Goenka realises his brand could take a hit in case of any controversy in the next two seasons which were faced by CSK and Rajasthan Royals. Dhoni has learnt hard lessons from these controversies and looks to discuss about team only to the coach and owners of the team. “It’s very simple, cricket will be discussed with the coach of the team. If need arises we would like to bring few senior players into discussion. Other things will be taken care of by the franchise,” Dhoni said while unveiling the RPS jersey on Monday, as mentioned on dnaindia. READ: Rising Pune Supergiants rope in Hrishikesh Kanitkar as assistant coach
The bigger challenge arises for Goenka since he has gambled all his money for a new franchise for the next two years and also his brand remains on stake. With a recent sting operation by a newspaper surfacing where former Team India manager Sunil Dev questioned Dhoni’s decision during the 2014 Manchester Test in England, Goenka faced queries about his new skipper related to the controversy. “We believe in playing by the rules,” said Goenka, who has been asked about his skipper many times over the last week. “I want to make one thing very clear. We do believe that IPL has stuck to the rules. That is my belief. I am not going to comment on anything about the past. All I can say is that we have full faith in Dhoni, that’s the reason we chose him as skipper,” Goenka added. READ: MS Dhoni launches Rising Pune Supergiants (RPS) team jersey ahead of IPL 2016
Goenka has spent money on India skipper Dhoni with no doubts . In fact, his RPS team has also been picked from the core unit of CSK. “Why would past make us more cautious or less cautious? We are what we are and we are going to be what we are. We are going to play with a lot of conviction,” Goenka continued praising Dhoni. Dhoni also mentioned his connections with Raghu Iyer, the CEO of Rajasthan Royals after the recent IPL auctions. With Apex court hearing pending on March 3, Dhoni said “he has completely cut off himself from what’s happening in the court room”.
“Lodha commission (Justice RM Lodha) has not given me the report on what has to be implemented, so you need to ask the BCCI about it,” Dhoni said, adding: “IPL got its share of bad name, but at the same time, you also have to look at the positives it has brought to Indian cricket. It became the platform where you can identify the youngsters who are really good. It teaches a lot of youngsters how to handle the pressure. That is fantastic for Indian cricket.” On another note, Dhoni said that he has not yet moved on from CSK. “I would be lying if I’ll say I have moved on. There’s always an emotional connect, but at the same time, there’s a professional connect you need to have. So the next two years with Pune team is going to be special,” he said. READ: Sanjiv Goenka: Rising Pune Supergiants team were keen to have Pawan Negi
When Dhoni was asked his views about CSK suspension, Dhoni mentioned, “I don’t think like if that event has not happened, then how it has affected us. I always live in the present. I don’t live in past. Once a thing has happened, it’s important how you sort out that thing. It’s important what do you think about it going ahead. Whatever mistakes have happened, one should make sure that those mistakes don’t take place in the future. So whatever has happened has happened. Let’s look at what lies ahead.”
