MS Dhoni, Cheteshwar Pujara and Stephen Fleming
Chennai Super Kings' new recruit Cheteshwar Pujara on Wednesday said that he's excited and honoured to don the yellow jersey as he received the official kit from skipper MS Dhoni ahead of the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) edition. Known for his defensive batting forte, Pujara was bought by the three-time champions for INR 50 lakh in the mini-auction earlier this year.
"Excited and honoured to receive the official kit from @msdhoni bhai and the @ChennaiIPL family! Looking forward to a great season ahead," wrote the 33-year-old on Twitter.
Recently, Pujara was spotted taking his fellow teammates to the cleaners as a clip of him training in nets surfaced on social media. Pujara took the ariel route many times during the session. The right-hander charged down the track and also flicked off his pads, flaunting his aggressive side in the nets.
Along with Pujara, the Chennai outfit also got hold of England all-rounder Moeen Ali for INR 7 crore, Karnataka all-rounder K Gowtham (INR 9.25 crore), Robin Uthappa (traded) and Tamil Nadu batsman C Hari Nishaanth, Harishankar Reddy and Bhagath Varma (all for INR 20 lakh).
The Chennai side had a forgetful last season in the UAE where it finished seventh on the points table, failing to qualify for the playoffs for the first time in IPL history. This year, CSK will also be bolstered by the return of vice-captain Suresh Raina, who had opted out of IPL 2020 owing to personal reasons.
While IPL 2021 is set to start from April 9 in Chennai, MS Dhoni-led CSK will begin their campaign an evening later when they take on the previous season's runner-up, Delhi Capitals, at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
