IPL 2019: All-time great MS Dhoni the force behind CSK's success, reckons Simon Katich

On Wednesday, Mumbai Indians became the first team in the history of Indian Premier League to win 100 games. Chennai Super Kings (CSK) are second in the list with 93 wins. But the fact that the Super Kings are still second in the list despite missing two years of action due to suspension pretty much tells just how dominating they have been in the league over the years. In terms of titles, they are one of the only two teams to have won the league thrice.

The other two teams who have gone neck-to-neck with the Super Kings in recent years in terms of title are Mumbai Indians (3) and Kolkata Knight Riders (2). However, even Kolkata Knight Riders and Mumbai Indians had a dismal start to their journey in the IPL whereas Super Kings have been the team to beat since the inaugural season where they made it to the final. In fact, Super Kings are the only team in the 11 seasons of the league to progress ahead of the group stage in every season they have played.

Before the suspension, the Super Kings, who are the only team to win back-to-back IPL titles, won the league twice-2010 and 2011 in addition to making it to the final on four different occasions. They have also won the now-scrapped Champions League T20 twice. They proved their dominance last year too when they defied all the odds to win the title after being out of the league for two years. And Simon Katich, the Kolkata Knight Riders assistant coach, believes one of the reasons behind Super Kings’ success is the captaincy of MS Dhoni who is leading the team since the inaugural season.

“There isn’t any difference except for winning the big moments that CSK did last season. They have a lot of experienced players in their team who stood up in the big games and are led by the all-time great in MS Dhoni,” Katich told Hindustan Times. “We also have a lot of senior players and we hope they will share the experience with the juniors and show them how to win a title this season,” he added.

IPL best:

The former Australia batsman also said that the IPL is the best league in the world, rating it better than the likes of BBL, PSL, BPL and CPL. “It is the best of the best. The best players want to come here and show how well they can play in these conditions. This produces the best cricket and all the teams can win on their day but only one is crowned champion and I hope it will be us this season,” he said.

[interaction id=”5ca630264869a831a3d1f2fa”]

Get the latest Cricket News and updates, Match Predictions, Fantasy Cricket Tips and lots more on CricTracker.com.