“Calling Us Dad’s Army” : Former CSK Spinner Karn Sharma Recalls Emotional 2018 IPL Title Win Under MS Dhoni
Former CSK spinner Karn Sharma opens up on MS Dhoni’s leadership, the emotional 2018 IPL win, and how the ‘Dad’s Army’ tag motivated the veteran squad.
Senior Indian leg spinner Karn Sharma has come out and revealed the raw emotion running inside the Chennai Super Kings camp during the triumphant 2018 campaign where they went on to win the championship.
”We realized the emotional weight later when we won, and he [MS Dhoni] mentioned that even though we didn’t play for two years, our fan following grew rather than diminished – Everyone was motivated, especially since people were calling us ‘Dad’s Army’ because most of us were 30+ or 35+. We just knew that wherever we went, we had to put in 100% effort, and the results followed.” Stated Karn Sharma while Speaking to journalist Rohit Juglan on RevSportz
The 2018 campaign is undoubtedly one of the best comeback stories in franchise cricket. Written off by experts at the auction table as picking old veterans to form the squad, the Dhoni-led team blew the competition away in the group stage and sealed their fate by overcoming Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Wankhede Stadium to lift the trophy.
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Overcoming The ‘Dad’s Army’ Label Through Veteran Composure
CSK’s gamble at the 2018 auctions met with widespread disbelief by analysts on the circuit. Could a squad anchored primarily around Shane Watson, Ambati Rayudu, Dwayne Bravo and Dhoni compete with their younger counterparts on sheer athleticism? Those questions vanished quickly. Watson’s unbeaten century (117*) in the final won the final for CSK while Rayudu scored over 602 runs in the tournament.
Experience dictated the high-pressure moments. Look, younger sides often panic when chasing tricky targets under playoff lights. Chennai leaned on calm heads and ruthless execution, proving that composure under pressure beats raw athleticism every single time.
Karn Sharma’s Unique Championship Pedigree Across Franchises
Sharma provided steady control through the middle overs during that 2018 run, maintaining tight lines to build pressure. The title also locked in an extraordinary personal milestone for the wrist-spinner. He won three consecutive IPL titles with three different franchises: Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2016, Mumbai Indians in 2017, and Chennai Super Kings in 2018.
His comments underline the unique culture Dhoni builds behind closed doors. Outside noise meant nothing to the squad. They channeled the mockery into collective grit, setting a standard for how Chennai managed experienced rosters for the next decade.
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Source: www.sportscapemagazine.com
