Deep down, he knows the right answers: Hussey on Dhoni’s instinct

Chennai Super Kings batting coach Michael Hussey who once shared the dressing room with MS Dhoni and now works alongside him believes that the veteran wicketkeeperbatterrsquos greatest strength lies not in experience alone but in his refusal to stand stillAt 44 and deep into a legendary T20 career Dhoni continues to defy the passage of time not just with his presence but with an unrelenting desire to evolve a trait that still shapes the culture of CSK Even after years of success and a return from a competitive break Dhoni remains deeply invested in finetuning his game engaging in detailed conversations exploring subtle technical adjustments and constantly searching for marginal gainsIt is this rare blend of instinct and curiosity Hussey revealed that continues to set Dhoni apart in a league increasingly dominated by youth and powerhittingldquoHe knows his game so well So we dont have to have a lot of conversations But one thing Ive really admired about MS over the years and probably talks to his longevity is that hes always looking to improve or just sort of improve his game a little bit all the time And the conversations weve been having are just around little adjustmentsldquoWhether its a little bit of a foot movement here or a little bit of a swing change here But he has a great feel for the game So its more just him bouncing different ideas off But I think deep down he knows what the right answers are most of the time anyway So hes awesome to work with and what a legendary player hes been for such a long timerdquo Hussey said in a video shared by the franchiseHussey who has seamlessly transitioned from a decorated player to a key member of CSKrsquos coaching setup spoke enthusiastically about his current role particularly the opportunity to shape emerging talentldquoI absolutely love it Its a fantastic experience to be able to work with different players from all around the world whether theyre West Indians Kiwis South Africans and of course lots of Indians as well Im particularly enjoying this year because weve got a few younger players new to the team not that experienced yet so to be able to sit with them talk to them about how they see the game work with their game not just for this season but hopefully for the rest of their careers is really excitingrdquo Hussey saidThis season marks a subtle shift in CSKrsquos traditional template from a core of seasoned campaigners to a more dynamic mix featuring youth and explosivenessHussey highlighted the refreshing attitude of younger players like Karthik Sharma and Ayush Mathre noting their ability to embrace the IPL stage without intimidationldquoIm just loving their fearless attitude towards the game You know theyre not daunted by the bright lights of the IPL the big crowds you know who theyre playing against you know some of these worldclass bowlers from around the world You know theyre excited for the opportunity to get out thererdquo Hussey statedAt the same time he acknowledged the practical challenges of integrating a diverse groupldquoSometimes the language barrier is challenging and so we need to speak very slowly or sometimes need to get someone to come in and interpret our conversations to make sure theyre fully understanding each otherrdquo he addedWhat excites Hussey most however is the balance within the squad pairing youth with experience across the batting orderldquoIm really looking forward What Im excited about with this batting order that weve got is we have got a nice blend of experience and youth So yeah its going to be exciting for the future But also I feel as though having you know experienced players like Rutu and Sanju Samson Dubey MSD of course some overseas players like Abrevis in there as well will offer a lot of help as well to these younger players We can have some experience with a youngster experience with a youngster all the way down and I think thatll help their development as players as wellrdquo he mentionedAs T20 cricket continues to evolve into a highscoring spectacle Hussey made it clear that CSKrsquos approach remains grounded in clarity rather than chasing arbitrary targetsldquoWe dont like to put any targets in place or ceilings on what they you know should be trying to get to or whatever because I think sometimes that can cloud the players mind For me its about trying to help the player learn about adapting to the situation adapting to the conditions What does the team need now And then theyve all got the shots Theyve been playing such aggressive shots since they were young young players Theyve been growing up watching T20 cricket so theyve already got that natural sort of attacking ability in their gamerdquo Hussey saidInstead the emphasis is on situational awareness blending aggression with game senseldquoBut then its about okay whats the situation need now There might be times when we need to go really hard and try and get the score up as high as possible but there might be a time when we need to be a little bit smarter and just work the ball and get through a good spell or if the pitch isnt as flat as maybe other pitches around the country So its about sort of learning about those batsmanship skills as well as having the power game as wellldquoBut I dont like to put too much in their minds in terms of numbers and targets because most people play their best when theyre clearminded and theyre free and they can just react to whats coming in front of them So sometimes if we put too much in their mind it clouds their mind and they dont play their bestrdquo he notedThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever