'MS Dhoni is the heartbeat of CSK,' says head coach Fleming as 'Thala' gets his 200th cap

With MS Dhoni capping his 200th appearance for CSK on Friday against Punjab Kings, head coach Stephen Fleming remarked that the skipper is the 'heartbeat' of the franchise. Fleming, who has been with CSK and Dhoni since the inception, also heaped praise on the skipper's performances, guidance and leadership skills as he nailed victory in his 200th game on Friday at the Wankhede against PBKS. Together, Dhoni and Fleming, have won the IPL title three times, apart from having reached the finals on several other occasions as well. 

"He has been absolutely the heartbeat of CSK, there's no doubt about it. Whether it's performances, guidance or leadership... you run out of things to say about him. His longevity also has to be mentioned and appreciated... to play 200 games and still have a desire to do well and is a testament to his attitude towards the game and the franchise. I think the franchise has grown and MS has grown with it, so it's a very good relationship and great fun," Fleming said at the post-match conference on Friday. 

The CSK head coach also lauded the star of the match against PBKS Deepak Chahar for wreaking completing havoc and leading the franchise to its first win of the season. Fleming remarked that he was 'impressed' by the way Chahar bounced back after the first game. With Ruturaj Gaikwad failing to get going in the first two games of the season, the head coach backed the youngster to come good in the upcoming games. 

"We felt within our group that the conditions transpired against us with a little bit of drizzle and the dew in the last match and we weren't able to create any opportunities. So, the challenge was laid down to the bowling group on how they are going to operate a little bit better in today's conditions," Fleming said. 

MS Dhoni gets his 200th CSK cap 

Achieving another milestone in his career, former India captain MS Dhoni featured in his 200th IPL game for CSK - the franchise he has been associated with since the inception of IPL, barring the two years that it was banned for in between. MS Dhoni played his 200th game for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) when he took to the field against Punjab Kings at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai in match eight of the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL). Dhoni became the only player to achieve this milestone in IPL history. 

When asked about how he felt on achieving the feat, Dhoni said, "Makes me feel very old. Been a very long journey. Different conditions, countries, a very interesting journey. I think 2011 was the last time we were happy with the Chennai wicket. After that however hard the groundsmen tried, we were not happy with the wicket."