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The lost identity of CSK - It was never a family but a dynasty built on MS Dhoni's ruthlessness

Akshita Patel

CSK reviving it's lost identity [Source: @ShivAroor, @ChennaiIPL/X.com]CSK reviving it's lost identity [Source: @ShivAroor, @ChennaiIPL/X.com]

When the news broke that Chennai Super Kings (CSK) had traded Ravindra Jadeja to Rajasthan Royals, it felt like the end of an era. 12 years of memories, trophies, comebacks, and chaos, wrapped up in a single notification.

For many CSK fans, it wasn’t just a trade. It felt personal, almost like a breakup they didn’t see coming. 

But here’s the uncomfortable truth nobody wants to say out loud: This is exactly the CSK we grew up watching.

Not the soft, emotional, nostalgia-driven version of recent years. But the ruthless, clear-headed, unapologetic cricket dynasty was built under MS Dhoni.

At CSK, no one is bigger than the badge

CSK was never designed to be a “family”. It was designed to be a machine that wins. Let’s rewind. Back in 2007, when N. Srinivasan saw a young Dhoni lift the T20 World Cup, he didn’t choose him because he smiled a lot or looked friendly. 

He chose him because MS Dhoni had steel in his spine. He could make the hardest decisions, like dropping seniors, rearranging lineups, and sacrificing emotion, and still sleep peacefully at night because he knew it was for the team.

That was the DNA he injected into CSK.

And for years, it worked. Think of Michael Hussey in 2013. He scored over 700 runs in 17 games at a 52.35 average. He carried the team to the final. 

A season like that usually earns you a statue at the stadium. Instead, CSK didn’t retain him before the 2014 auction. It shocked the world. But MS Dhoni saw what fans couldn't, which is timing, clarity and forward movement.

Fast forward to 2020. CSK finished near the bottom, and for the first time, fans saw what happens when the franchise listens to sentiment. The “Dad’s Army” nostalgia had turned into a burden. That season was a message to CSK that wins cannot afford to be emotional.

Somewhere along the way, CSK softened. The 2018 IPL return patched old wounds, but it also reopened old habits. Fans fell in love with the past and held on too tightly. And yes, emotion clouded decision-making.

That’s why Ravindra Jadeja’s exit stings. Not because he didn’t deserve respect. He did. He earned every ounce of it. 

From the 2023 IPL final, he single-handedly finished the countless games where he flipped matches with bat, ball, or brilliance in the field. Jadeja became the heartbeat of CSK. 

Ravindra Jadeja’s exit hurts, but this is the real CSK

But franchises aren’t built on heartbeats. They’re built on decisions. And this decision? It’s not betrayal. It’s balance. 

Some fans are furious, calling it disloyal. But 'loyalty' is a complicated word. Players rarely take pay cuts or prioritise the team over themselves. The only person who has done that year after year is MS Dhoni. 

The man who literally reduced his own salary to keep the team stable. The man who handed the captaincy away when he thought it was right. The man who never held the franchise hostage.

He’s earned the right to choose the path forward. And if this is Dhoni’s call, it’s a return, not a departure, from CSK’s original identity.

The CSK that was built on clarity. The CSK that moved on at the right time. The CSK that always valued the badge over the name.

Jadeja’s chapter may have closed, but the dynasty isn’t collapsing.

It’s simply rediscovering what made it great. And that’s what Chennai needs right now, not comfort, but courage to become champions again.