Boria Majumdar in Mahabalipuram
Chennai Super Kings is one of India’s most powerful brands. Blessed with a legion of dedicated supporters who make things yellow wherever CSK plays, it is a brilliant example of how a brand is built, sustained and nurtured, and built further. As a result, l was looking forward to the fireside chat with Kasi Viswanathan, CSK Chief Executive and one of the most humble cricket administrators you will come across at the Tamil Nadu Global Tourism Summit in Mahabalipuram.
May I say I wasn’t disappointed. Kasi was candid and passionate. And in the 45 minutes on stage, the one person who was absent-present literally the whole time was Mahendra Singh Dhoni. The conversation gave enough evidence of how much Dhoni is closely bonded with the CSK narrative and how CSK is Dhoni and Dhoni is CSK.
“We picked MSD in the auction in 2008 and must say he will forever stay our best investment. Most other teams had an icon player. Mumbai had Sachin, Kolkata Sourav, Bengaluru Rahul and so on. We did not and we went for Dhoni for VB Chandrasekhar had mentioned him to N Srinivasan saying he will make a fantastic leader. How correct he was!”, said Kasi.
It was apparent during the conversation that brand CSK has invested in Dhoni to take all calls cricket. “We in CSK have known from the very start that cricketers and administrators think differently. It is better that cricketers are allowed to take on-field calls while the administrators focus on things off the field. MSD had our fullest support in shaping the team and the way we played. The bond was organic and you can see the results”, he said as he paused for a second.
That’s when i could see a smile on his face. “Let me tell you a story. I had spoken to MSD about Ashwin and asked him to take a look in South Africa in 2009. He said he had watched Ashwin and he will soon get an opportunity. In his first game, he did not even bowl! Thereafter, MSD told him that he is good enough and will soon be given the ball. In a CLT20 game which went to the super over, Ashwin stepped up for us. Murali did not want to bowl and Ashwin stepped up to do the job. He never looked back thereafter. Even now, the way Rutu is being groomed by MSD is something fantastic. Dube too is another example of how Dhoni has helped players and made a difference to Indian cricket,” said Kasi.
The vision was clear. Let the cricket be handled by Dhoni while the administrators expand the brand to the grassroots and even beyond cricket. CSK is already supporting other sports in the districts of Tamil Nadu, and over a period of time has the desire to invest strong in the larger sports ecosystem beyond cricket.
“We have a deep interest in building the sports ecosystem. Our investments are evidence. We want to support and make a difference. We have started with the grassroots and will expand over a period of time. Last year we had a very special moment during the IPL when Gukesh met MSD. The mesh of cricket and others sports is essential. This year we will be happy to have Tania Sachdev over and invite Ashwin to play a game of chess with her!”, said Kasi as the audience broke into a minute long cheer. Tania, sitting and listening to the deliberations having finished her session, seemed pleased. “It will be a real pleasure to do this”, said the voice of Indian chess to me as we met for lunch thereafter.
At the end, the topic of conversation came back to MSD. Why is he a cult despite not being Tamil is what I asked? The consensus in the hall was that in Tamil Nadu it is not about being Tamil. Rather it is about being talented and being good at what you do. Effort and achievement is rewarded irrespective of who you are and where you came from.
So is the MSD story all set to continue I asked Kasi ji and when will CSK have a women’s team?
It is as if he was waiting for the questions. “MSD will surely play this season and will be with CSK forever. And the very next step for us will be to invest in women’s cricket. You can be sure of it”, he said to applause bringing the session to a wonderful closure.
For me it was a day well spent.
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