"May Have Felt Hurt": CSK CEO On Rift Rumours Between Dhoni Jadeja

Chennai Super Kings defeated Gujarat Titans in a last-ball thriller in the summit clash of IPL 2023 and lifted their fifth title. In a rain-curtailed match, CSK had a revised target of 172 to be chased in 15 overs. With 10 runs needed off the last two balls, all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja came to the rescue and took CSK across the line. The season will be remembered by the CSK fans for the years to come. However, this edition was also surrounded by the rift rumours between Jadeja and CSK skipper MS Dhoni, as many fans thought that all is not well between the two players. 

Many speculations about a possible rift were being made after a video from the match between CSK and Delhi Capitals went viral, showing Dhoni and Jadeja having a chat, after the all-rounder leaked 50 runs in his four-over quota. To add fuel to the fire, Jadeja shared a cryptic post on Twitter. "Karma will get back at you, sooner or later it surely will," Jadeja posted an image, captioning it "Definitely" with a thumbs up emoji. 

Apart from this, Jadeja was visibly miffed with the crowd as they would pray for his dismissal during the match, in order to get Dhoni at the crease. 

However, in a recent interview with ESPNCricinfo, CSK CEO Kasi Viswanathan rubbished all the rumours about the rift and stated that all his well between both the players. 

"As far as Jadeja is concerned, he bowled superbly. While batting, our line-up of Ruturaj, Conway, Moeen, Rahane, with the results, whenever he [Jadeja] went in to bat, he had 5-10 balls left. In such situations, it can or can't click sometimes. But the thing is he also knew Dhoni was to come in next, and he himself would get just 2-3 balls sometimes. In such situations whenever he went in, the crowd used to welcome Dhoni. In a way, he may have felt hurt. Any player for that matter may have had that pressure. But he didn't complain about it even though he put out a tweet," Viswanathan told ESPNCricinfo.

"It's all part and parcel of the game. After the last game, people saw videos online and assumed I'm pacifying Jadeja, but it wasn't like that. I was talking to him about the match, what he did. We didn't have any other discussion. Everyone knows in a team environment, what happens in the dressing room, no one is privy to it outside. We don't have any problem. He always had high respect for Dhoni. After the final also, he said, 'I dedicate this knock to Dhoni.' That is the kind of respect he has for MS," he added. 

Talking about Dhoni, the former India skipper who recently underwent knee surgery in Mumbai, is currently in his hometown in Ranchi. Viswanathan stated that Dhoni will not be playing before January-February. 

"In Mumbai, after Ruturaj's wedding [on June 4], I visited him. It was a courtesy call. He's quite comfortable. He said he'll rest for three weeks and then start his rehab. And like he said, he's not going to play until January-February. We don't need to remind him about all that," Viswanathan said.

source https://sports.ndtv.com/cricket/may-have-felt-hurt-csk-ceo-on-rift-rumours-between-ms-dhoni-ravindra-jadeja-4140446