I have learnt to be calm in pressure situations from MS Dhoni: Simarjeet Singh

Chennai Super Kings experienced a disappointing outing in IPL 2022 as they finished in the second-last position in the points table. But it wasn’t all doom and gloom for the Chennai-based franchise as Simranjeet Singh was one of the few bright sparks for the yellow army. Simranjeet has revealed that CSK’s skipper MS Dhoni plays a huge role in motivating and preparing the newcomers and the youngsters in the squad.

The right-arm quick was brought in by CSK in this year’s auction and was handed a debut against Sunrisers Hyderabad. The bowler from Delhi picked up four wickets with a decent economy of 7.67 in six matches. The youngster revealed that senior pros like Dhoni play a crucial role in preparing the newcomers for “high-pressure situations”.

“Overall it’s Mahi Bhai. I learned how to be calm in pressure situations from Mahi (Dhoni) Bhai. Watching him on the television is a different thing as one does not know what happens after one finishes an over. In reality, he always keeps guiding me and pushes me to do better. Mahi Bhai told me I bowled well. I can keep listening to his words forever,” Simarjeet told CSK TV.

The pacer also revealed that there is a monumental difference in facing the crowd from the bench than from the pitch. He spoke about his nervousness before his first game for the side against SRH.

“I was telling everyone that I was not nervous in the first game against SRH. But in reality, I was extremely nervous during that game. When I entered the stadium for the first time, it felt super different with the crowds being back in the stands. There’s a lot of difference between sitting on the bench and being a part of the playing eleven. From the outside, I didn’t feel the pressure as such,” added Singh.

I made and executed my plans well and realized I belong here: Mukesh Choudhary

The other find in an underwhelming season for Chennai was the young left-arm pacer, Mukesh Choudhary. Choudhary had a sensational debut season with 16 wickets in 13 games. He was impressive with the new ball as his ability to swing the ball troubled batters in the powerplay. The 25- year-old revealed that the coaching staff helped him a lot after a tough couple of games at the beginning.

“The belief (to do well) was always there. After the first two games, I was under pressure. I was confused as to what I was doing wrong. After those matches, I thought my place in the squad would be dicey. But the coaches and the management backed me really well. They said IPL is at another level, so you have to be careful with your bowling. I was extra focused on the MI game as I wanted to give my best. I made my bowling plans and executed them well and then realized that I do belong here,” said Choudhary.