New Delhi: The occasion was the jersey unveiling of new IPL franchise Rising Pune Supergiants. But with captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni present, there were multiple references to the Chennai Super Kings, his former team which is serving a two-year ban.
Dhoni looked nostalgic as he shunned political correctness and spoke fondly of his eventful eight-year association with CSK, which has been the most consistent team in the IPL over the years.
"If you want me to be politically correct, that is not how I am," was Dhoni's opening remarks.
"After eight years of IPL, it feels very different to play for any other team. All of a sudden if you want me to say that I am very excited to play for a new team and don't give credit to CSK and the fans for the love and affection they have given us, then it will be wrong," India's limited overs captain said.
"I would be lying if I say I have moved on... That is the special part of being a human being. There's got to be an emotional connect after eight years with the CSK.
"But as a professional, I would like to thank the Pune team for picking me. There will of course be the added responsibility as the captain, but as a professional, we are supposed to do the job with more than hundred per cent commitment. And that is what we will try to do," Dhoni said.
"It is not easy to take away the feelings attached with the CSK just like that... It is not like a blackboard, where you can erase things with a duster and say okay, let's make a fresh start," he said after a pause.
Asked how the suspension of CSK has affected him and other players from the Chennai franchise, Dhoni said: "I never think about issues like that. I always live in the present, not in the past. Once something has happened, it is important how you sort it out and think of going ahead. Whatever mistakes have happened and whatever be the impact, one should make sure such mistakes don't happen in the future," he said.
The skipper of the new franchise admitted that he would miss playing with players like Suresh Raina, Ravindra Jadeja and Brendon McCullum, who used to be the core of the CSK side. At the same time, Dhoni said that he has full faith in the squad that has been raised by his present franchise.
"There are a lot of players we will miss. Most of us were together for eight years, our core group was the same. We were so consistent and our strength was that we played as a team. We have taken some former CSK players, but then at the auction, the two new teams were expected to do most of the buying. If you look at the six other franchisees, they have a settled lot. Therefore, the pressure will be on the new franchises," he said.
Asked to comment on Raina, who will captain the other new franchise - Gujarat Lions - Dhoni said: "We all know how destructive Raina is. At the same time, he will just not be playing against our team, he will be playing against the other teams too. He will be trying is best to do well. We have to make sure that we do the job that is expected from us."
Dhoni is also pleased that former CSK coach Stephen Fleming joined him at Pune. "Life becomes slightly easy with him around. We know each other for a long time. He is a fantastic coach," he said.
Dhoni, however, refused to comment on the Justice Lodha committee report saying the question should be directed to the BCCI. He admitted that IPL had got its share of bad name, but chose to highlight the positives of the tournament.
"IPL has become the platform where you can identify the youngsters who are really good... Because of IPL, it has become slightly easier to find talents," he said.
The Pune captain justified the inclusion of Kevin Pietersen in the squad saying every cricketer has a role in the team.
"KP is fantastic... He is somebody who is aggressive and expressive on the field. Like all other seniors, he has an added responsibility to groom the youngsters."
Asked if he expected the former England captain to gel well with the team, Dhoni said: "We will have to wait and watch, but I don't think it will be an issue."
On the issue of cricketers getting huge payments for playing in the IPL, Dhoni said one should remember that a cricketer's career has always been short.
"Yes, there are cricketers, who get lots of money. But there are millions who opted to play cricket but did not earn enough money. The shelf life of cricketers are short... A maximum of 15 years. That's the earning span of a cricketer's life. You have to make money to sustain yourself," he said.
Meanwhile, Sanjiv Goenka, the chairman of the RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group which owns the franchise, said: "Our team is captained by a person whom I admire personally. He is calm, composed, is a visionary and a great leader. We hope to win under him."
Asked whether he was bothered by the controversies surrounding the IPL, Goenka said: "We believe in playing by the rules. I am not going to comment on the past. I have full faith in Dhoni and that's the reason why we have chosen him. He is an outstanding cricketer."
