IPL 2020: 'He Absorbs So Much Pressure, Never Panics,' CSK All-Rounder Hails MS Dhoni 

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) all-rounder Dwayne Bravo has hailed his skipper, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020.

Bravo, who is currently playing with Trinbago Knight Riders at the Caribbean Premier League (CPL), will soon fly to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for the 13th edition of the IPL, which is due to begin Sept. 19.

Bravo has been Dhoni’s go-to man in the IPL since he joined the franchise in 2011. He has won CSK many matches, both with the ball and bat, and is usually CSK’s first-choice death bowler.

In a conversation with the Indian publication Times of India, Bravo paid his tribute to Dhoni, who recently announced his retirement from international cricket. Bravo called the wicketkeeper-batsman the "best finisher the game has ever seen".

Bravo recollected a Twenty20 International (T20I) match between India and West Indies in 2016, where he had to bowl to Dhoni in the final over.

"I only had to defend six runs in that over, and I was bowling to the best finisher in the game. Dhoni is a difficult opponent to bowl to, so it was a great achievement for me to stop him from getting those runs...I wish I could have bowled more to him in international cricket because I always like bowling to the best," Bravo told Times of India.

While Bravo insisted everyone would have loved to watch Dhoni play for as long as possible, he also acknowledged the latter's ability to never panicking during intense situations.

"As cricket lovers, we would have loved to see him play for as long as possible, but the reality is we have to stop sometime. But there’s still the IPL, and he is very much there. As a player, he used to absorb so much pressure and never panicked. Dhoni always gives players the belief and confidence, which is the hallmark of any great captain," added Bravo in the same interview.

Bravo, who made his T20 debut in 2006, has scored over 6,000 runs and is one wicket behind entering the 5,00 club among bowlers in the shortest format of the game.

Meanwhile, Dhoni has led CSK to three IPL titles, including two back-to-back trophies in 2010 and 2011 before winning the 2018 edition. After being suspended for two years between 2016 and 2017, CSK won the 2018 edition in what turned out to be a great redemption moment for Dhoni’s camp. Only Mumbai Indians have won more IPL trophies than CSK – 4.