Krishnappa Gowtham on Monday said bowlers love playing under Mahendra Singh Dhoni because he knows their strength and how to get the best out of them.
Krishnappa Gowtham, the spin-bowling all-rounder bagged an Rs. 9.25 crore contract from Chennai Super Kings.
Krishnappa Gowtham: Bowlers Love Playing Under MS Dhoni
While overseas players like Chris Morris, Kyle Jameison, and Glenn Maxwell stole headlines bagging contracts of above INR 14 crores, Krishnappa Gowtham became the most expensive uncapped Indian player in the history of the competition.
“Bowlers love playing under Mahi bhai because he understands a bowler’s strengths and knows how to get the best out of him,” Gowtham was quoted as saying by the CSK website.
The Karnataka cricketer said it was a dream come true moment for him to be playing under talismanic skipper MS Dhoni. Krishnappa Gowtham recalled that he hasn’t had many lengthy interactions with the Indian cricket icon, but is hopeful of having many fruitful conversations with the CSK skipper in IPL 2021 as he had signed for the franchise.
“I don’t feel any pressure of expectations playing for a champion side like CSK,” Gowtham, who previously played for Punjab Kings, said.
He said what differentiated CSK from most teams in the Indian Premier League was the clarity in their thought process and an organized approach.
“The CSK management understands cricket owing to its long association with the game which again reflects in its approach to players, the comforting words and confidence given when things aren’t going right,” he added.
Rajasthan Royals picked Krishnappa Gowtham for a whopping INR 6.2 crore from his base price of INR 20 lakhs in IPL 2018 auctions. He delivered for the team with both bat and ball in crunch situations and gave a good account of himself as it was due to him that Rajasthan Royals could finish out close matches, which eventually helped them qualify for the IPL 2018 Playoffs.
The all-rounder scored 126 runs and took 11 wickets in 2018 where he played 15 games. He played only 7 games in 2019 for Rajasthan and only 2 in 2020 for Punjab Kings (formerly Kings XI Punjab) and didn’t perform that well.
Krishnappa Gowtham Trained In Chennai Before Shifting Base To Mumbai
He also spoke about the importance of a strong leadership group like what CSK has in a team’s success.
“It makes a big difference as it helps a player to express himself. They talk to the player if anything specific is needed or if he’s working on something. When these things are taken care of, it’s much easier for a player to go out and give his best,” the new CSK recruit said.
The CSK players are currently training in Mumbai where they play their first five matches of IPL 2021 starting with a game against Delhi Capitals on April 10.
The MS Dhoni-led team trained in Chennai from March 8 before shifting base to Mumbai. Ace all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, who has recovered from the injury he sustained during the Australia tour, batsmen Cheteshwar Pujara, Suresh Raina, and Robin Uthappa have joined the squad in Mumbai.