“Just take care of him …”

Shaik Rasheed made his Indian Premier League (IPL) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) debut on April 14. The 20-year-old had an immediate impact. The right-handed opener scored 27 (19) as the 5-time champions chased down the 167-run target against the Lucknow Super Giants.

Shaik Rasheed’s IPL debut

Shaik had only come into the side after failures by Devon Conway and an injury to Ruturaj Gaikwad. But it was a long time coming. He had been warming the bench since CSK bought him for Rs 20 lakh at the IPL 2023 auction. In his first match, he gives the team a strong start, which helps them break a 5-match losing streak and keep themselves alive in the playoffs race.

Why players want to join CSK

Almost every up-and-coming cricketer wants to join the CSK. The main reason is MS Dhoni. Everyone seems to want to play under the living legend. Dhoni seems to bring out the best in the players. Shardul Thakur, Sam Curran, and Tushar Deshpande are fine examples of this.

Naturally, both Shaik Rasheed and his father, Shaik Balisha Vali, were ecstatic. “We were informed by CSK that they will pick him in the auction. We were told that they were following him from the U-16 days. As soon as he won the U-19 World Cup, they picked him. Before CSK, Rasheed’s game was built around defence. After going there, he learnt the attacking game. He introduced me to MS Dhoni in 2023,” Shaik’s father told Indian Express.

MS Dhoni’s conversation with Shaik Rasheed’s father

But at the back of his mind, he was apprehensive. His son had just turned 19. He worried about his future as he joined CSK. But Dhoni made all of his doubts dissipate into thin air. Vali shares the conversation he had with Dhoni right after Shaik joined the 5-time champions.

“Leave Rasheed’s career to us. We like his discipline and game a lot. Leave his career to us; just take care of his fitness and give him good food when he comes home,” he added.