Amid Doubts Over IPL Future, MS Dhoni’s “You’ve To Let Him Go” Remark Is Viral

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) icon MS Dhoni suggested it is important to have fear if you want to improve. CSK have won the Indian Premier League (IPL) five times, all under Dhoni’s captaincy, and the veteran wicketkeeper-batter has been often credited for instilling the right mindset in the players who have played for the franchise over the years. In a video uploaded by CSK, Dhoni emphasised the need to recruit the right players for the team, instead of big names.

“Fear is very important. You need to have that fear because unless, if I don’t have fear, I can never be brave. I can never be courageous, you know. So I always felt that fear is important, that the pressure is important because that helps me take the right decision, keeping everything in mind. If I have fear, you know, a lot of people talk about I’m fearless,” Dhoni said in a video uploaded by CSK.

Dhoni also shed light on getting the maximum out of an individual rather than focusing on getting the biggest names on board.

“We get a very good player on our team, but he’s drastically different from our environment. So what do we look for? We want him to take that one step towards the team’s goal and we are happy to take three steps towards him. But let’s say that’s not the case. The second best thing is you keep doing what you are doing but don’t disrupt us. That’s the second-best option. The third is you have to let him go. Whether it’s business or sports, you want to do well at the end of the day. The think tank’s goal is to get the most out of the individual. If he’s very good for the team, I will try whatever ways to ensure he becomes an asset.

The 42-year-old added that if a big player is struggling to fit into the team environment, it is OK to let him go as the team’s interest should always be the priority.

“But he also needs to be willing to take that step. If he doesn’t take that first step, I can take the second option but at some point of time (I will have to take a call). I don’t want the whole team to adapt to the individual because that is wrong. So, you have to let him go. He may be the greatest player but you have to let him go. Somebody else will come and take his place. He may not be as good as him but he will help the team perform better,” he added.