NEW DELHI: Chennai Super Kings' dominance in the IPL isn't solely attributed to MS Dhoni's captaincy or the relaxed demeanor of its players. Bowling coach Dwayne Bravo points to the team's consistent success being fueled by minimal external interference.
Undoubtedly, Chennai Super Kings stand as the epitome of consistency in the Indian Premier League, boasting the highest number of playoff appearances and clinching the tournament title five times.
"There is no outside interference or pressure from owners, and they allow the players to be themselves. This is the beauty of this franchise," Bravo said.
Also See: How to watch IPL Cricket 2024
1/10:Top 5 players with most number of ducks in IPL
Agencies
2/10:5. Rashid Khan
<p>Rashid Khan ranks fifth for most ducks in IPL history, tallying 14 ducks in 50 innings.<br /><br /><br /></p>Agencies
3/10:Rashid Khan
<p>With a highest score of 79* and playing for SRH and GT, he has scored a total of 443 runs in his IPL career.<br /></p>Agencies
4/10:3. Mandeep Singh
<p>Mandeep Singh ranks joint third for most ducks in IPL history, with 15 ducks in 98 innings across various teams: DC, KKR, KXIP, PBKS, and RCB.<br /><br /><br /><br /></p>Agencies
5/10:Mandeep Singh
<p>His IPL career includes a highest score of 77*, accumulating a total of 1706 runs.<br /></p>Agencies
6/10:3. Sunil Naraine
<p>Sunil Narine ranks third in the list of players with the most ducks in IPL history, having accumulated 15 ducks in 96 innings.<br /><br /><br /></p>Agencies
7/10:Sunil Naraine
<p>He has represented only Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), achieving a highest score of 75 and accumulating a total of 1046 runs in his IPL career.<br /></p>Agencies
8/10:2. Rohit Sharma
<p>Rohit Sharma ranks second for most ducks in IPL history, tallying 16 ducks in 238 innings.<br /><br /></p>Agencies
9/10:Rohit Sharma
<p>With a highest score of 109* and a total of 6211 IPL runs, Sharma has represented Deccan Chargers and Mumbai Indians in his career.<br /></p>Agencies
10/10:1. Dinesh Karthik
<p>Dinesh Karthik holds the record for most ducks in IPL history, with 17 ducks in 221 innings across various teams.<br /><br /></p>AgenciesSpeaking about the team composition ahead of the upcoming edition of the popular T20 league, he said, "It's good. We have a very good squad. We want to continue from where we left off last season.
"We did some really great things with a very young bowling attack," he told PTI on the sidelines of the Avira Diamonds store launch here on Thursday.
CSK will enter the tournament as defending champions having beaten Gujarat Titans in the final last year.
"This year, we get back Shardul (Thakur), which is a bonus. Fizz (Mustafizur Rahman) is also experienced and has quality.
"(Matheesha) Pathirana, we call him baby Malinga. Tushar Deshpande, who had a good last season. It feels good to work with these guys, and looking forward to the upcoming season," Bravo added.
Bravo, one of the leading wicket-takers in IPL history, had called time on his playing career in the league in 2022 but remained with Chennai Super Kings in the role of the bowling coach.
1/10:Top 10 bowlers with most wickets in IPL history
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2/10:Harbhajan Singh
<p>Harbhajan Singh has clinched 150 wickets in 163 matches for Kolkata Knight Riders, Chennai Super Kings, and Mumbai Indians, bowling 569.2 overs.</p>Getty Images
3/10:Ravindra Jadeja
<p>Ravindra Jadeja has taken 151 wickets in 225 matches for Chennai Super Kings, Rajasthan Royals, and Gujarat Lions, bowling 587 overs.</p>Getty Images
4/10:Sunil Narine
<p>Sunil Narine has snared 163 wickets in 162 matches for Kolkata Knight Riders, bowling 624 overs.</p>Getty Images
5/10:Bhuvneshwar Kumar
<p>Bhuvneshwar Kumar has captured 170 wickets in 160 matches for Pune Warriors India and Sunrisers Hyderabad, bowling 594 overs.</p>Getty Images
6/10:Lasith Malinga
<p>Lasith Malinga, one of the greatest in the history of IPL, clinched 170 wickets in 122 matches for Mumbai Indians, bowling 471.1 overs.</p>Getty Images
7/10:Ravichandran Ashwin
<p>Ashwin has grabbed 171 wickets in 197 matches for Punjab Kings, Chennai Super Kings, Delhi Capitals, and Rajasthan Royals, bowling 699 overs.</p>Getty Images
8/10:Amit Mishra
<p>Piyush Chawla, another veteran of the game, has secured 179 wickets in 181 matches for Kolkata Knight Riders, Punjab Kings, Chennai Super Kings, and Mumbai Indians, bowling 606 overs.</p>Getty Images
9/10:Piyush Chawla
<p>Piyush Chawla has secured 179 wickets in 181 matches for Kolkata Knight Riders, Punjab Kings, Chennai Super Kings, and Mumbai Indians, bowling 606 overs.</p>Getty Images
10/10:Dwayne Bravo
<p>Dwayne Bravo boasts 183 wickets from 161 matches for Chennai Super Kings, Mumbai Indians, and Gujarat Titans, bowling 519.5 overs.</p>Getty ImagesBravo, who had played the tournament since its inception in 2008, had replaced L Balaji in the role after the latter decide to take a break for one year due to personal commitments.
He was full of praise for new Team India players such as Yashasvi Jaiswal and Ruturaj Gaikwad.
"Jaiswal, he is an exciting talent and someone to always keep an eye out for. Tilak Verma is also another exciting talent I intend to look up to."
Bravo backed opener Gaikwad to come good for CSK this season.
1/10:Teams to have never won IPL despite playing all 16 seasons
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2/10:Royal Challengers Bangalore
<p>Throughout IPL history, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) have relentlessly pursued their maiden title, facing heartbreak despite immense talent and determination.</p>Getty Images
3/10:RCB's Quest for a Balanced Squad
<p>RCB, a popular IPL franchise, struggle with challenges such as a weak bowling lineup, insufficient quality all-rounders, and the absence of a top-class spin bowler, hindering their quest for a balanced squad.</p>Getty Images
4/10:RCB's Struggle
<p>Key factors in RCB's struggle include a consistently weak bowling lineup, insufficient quality all-rounders, reliance on Yuzvendra Chahal for spin, inconsistency in the opening pair, weakness in defending scores, and heavy reliance on a few key players.</p>Getty Images
5/10:Punjab Kings
<p>Punjab Kings, formerly Kings XI Punjab, faces inconsistency, starting strong but struggling to sustain momentum, with poor team selection and a lack of quality spinners hindering their IPL success.</p>Getty Images
6/10:Reasons Behind Failure
<p>Punjab Kings' inability to secure an IPL title is attributed to inconsistent performances, questionable team selection, and a persistent lack of quality spinners affecting their overall bowling performance.</p>Getty Images
7/10:Bright future ahead
<p>While the Punjab-based franchise has faced repeated disappointments, fueled by fan passion and the desire to script their own success stories, the path to IPL glory lies within their grasp.</p>Getty Images
8/10:Delhi Capitals
<p>Delhi Capitals, formerly Delhi Daredevils, grapple with challenges in finding a stable opening pair and has shown improvement under Shreyas Iyer's captaincy, with a shortage of quality all-rounders affecting their balance.</p>Getty Images
9/10:Reasons for Not Winning
<p>Delhi Capitals' struggles include the inability to establish a reliable opening pair, past captaincy challenges, and a shortage of quality all-rounders impacting their ability to strike the right balance in the team.</p>Getty Images
10/10:Potential for IPL Title
<p>All three teams, RCB, Punjab Kings, and Delhi Capitals, have the potential to claim an IPL title, provided they address and overcome the challenges that have hindered their success in the past.</p>Getty Images"(Ruturaj) Gaikwad, for sure. He's one of my favourites."
CSK open their campaign in the upcoming league with a match against Royal Challengers Bangalore here on March 22, the tournament's opening day.
(With inputs from PTI)
