New Delhi, Oct 15: Former Australia all-rounder Shane Watson has lavished praise upon Chennai Super Kings captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni saying the former India cricketer has created an environment in the CSK that gets the best out of players.
Watson was part of the CSK side during IPL 2018 and 2019 seasons and played some of the best knocks of his career in the history of the league. The right-handed batsman - who had few forgettable seasons before joining CSK - was nothing less than a revelation in his debut season for the Yellow Army.
Watson - who has now retired from all forms of the game - while speaking at the Super Kings' show ahead of the team's highly-anticipated IPL 2021 final against Kolkata Knight Riders on Friday (October 15) revealed why the franchise has had several match-winners over the years.
"MS Dhoni just knows how to continuously bring an environment together and get the best out of players. That is why CSK has always had these different match-winners, it is not just about one or two players," Watson said on the Super Kings show on Star Sports.
Speaking about Dhoni's form with the bat in IPL 2021 Watson said the 40-year-old isn't the same batsman he once used to be but in the Qualifier 1 against Delhi Capitals, the former India captain finished the game in style for the side.
"He just knows how to allow people to get out of their way and yes CSK has not been relying on MS to score the runs that he has done in the past but when the team needed him the most in the Qualifier, the great man just stood up like he has done in the past," he added further.
CSK take on KKR which is being led by England captain Eoin Morgan in the big finale at Dubai International Cricket Stadium. The Super Kings finished the IPL 2021 league stage as the second-ranked side with 18 points from 14 matches. The Yellow Army won nine games and lost five in the league stage.
The Chennai-based franchise became the first team to qualify for the playoffs. However, three successive defeats in their last league games, resulted in CSK finishing second.