[Exclusive] When CSK wins, there’s no big celebration: Tushar Deshpande

[Exclusive] If CSK wins, there’s no big celebration: Tushar Deshpande

Indian pacer Tushar Deshpande, who made his T20I debut against Zimbabwe in July this year, is currently recovering from an ankle injury. The right-arm pacer who has featured in two T20Is for the Men in Blue and picked two wickets, missed the second round of the Duleep Trophy 2024 due to his injury. Post that he traveled to London for his surgery and is eyeing for a strong comeback.

During the 2024 Ranji Trophy season, Deshpande played a crucial role in Mumbai’s campaign, claiming 15 wickets in five matches as the team clinched their record-extending 42nd title. He has also been part of the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) for the past few years and has been a crucial member of their pace attack. Deshpande who was released by the five-time champions ahead of the 2025IPL mega auction, has set his base price at INR 1 Crore.

In an exclusive conversation with CricTracker just ahead of the mega auction, the Mumbai speedster discussed his views about taking up Cricket as a profession. He also opened up on legendary skipper MS Dhoni and what habits he has imbibed from him. Deshpande further revealed what makes CSK a champion side and his future aspirations of playing for India in all three formats.

Excerpts

1. How did you build interest in cricket, and then what was the inspiration behind taking it professionally?

To start with, it was my father because he also played cricket for his company and when you have such a sporting atmosphere at home you tend to develop an interest in sports. So with me, it was the same. He just used to take me with him just so that I could enjoy and develop my interest in cricket. I stayed in a small town in Kalyan, so there weren’t many cricketing facilities there. So my father always motivated me you go and practice in Mumbai and pursue it as a profession. I would say a stroke of luck.

There was Under-12 selection at Shivaji Park Gymkhana in 2008, and my parents were very eager that I should go and give my trials. So I went there and got selected. Actually, I went there to bat to be honest. I was a batter back then, but saw a huge line of batters in there. I thought that I should bowl because coming from Kalyan to Dadar, it was a long journey and after traveling so much, if you don’t get anything to do on that day, it would have been very disappointing for me and my parents as well. So I decided that if I was here. I should go and try my luck at posing. So I went there, I bowled and the selectors were impressed. Since then, it has been the beginning of a professional journey in cricket.

2. What role did your mother play in shaping your career and what advice did she give you that is still stuck with you?

One important thing she did was she made sure that no matter what the financial condition at home was, I always got the best gear to play on the ground. She was always of the opinion that if you want to perceive your career in cricket, you should use the best equipment so that you can perform at your best. These small things shouldn’t interfere with your performances.

So for me, it’s the bowling spikes and it used to cost a lot back then to buy. But my mom, and my dad made sure that I got those, and whatever I am today is because of those sacrifices that they made. And one thing which she told me very long back then is once you start playing cricket, there are a lot of thoughts in your mind. So one day I was just thinking will I be with the Indian team or not? But she just told me that if you keep playing and practicing the way you are, you will surely play for India and you have to believe in that. So she saw something in me that made her say that I’ll play for India and today whatever I am. I’m living her dream now.

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3. How have you worked on your mental strength over the years and how are you managing your mental state as it is important in this fast-paced sport?

One thing I started doing is embracing the challenge because if you don’t embrace the challenge or you don’t embrace the situation, you are going to fall back. So one thing which I started doing is whatever the situation is I’m playing a game or right now like I’m injured, I’m recovering or it is a tough time in a game or a tough match for my team. I just try and embrace it. So once I embrace it or accept the challenge this is the situation. I need to find a way out of it. That’s when I am at my best.

Another thing is I’ve done a lot of yoga and breathing exercises which MS Dhoni only suggested I do if you want to perform under pressure, you need to have a very calm mind. So back in 2021 when I was first part of CSK, he advised me to do a lot of breathing exercises which will keep me calm and I might make better decisions under pressure. A kind of tip from him or a suggestion from him worked wonders for me. So I’ve been doing that since 2021 and it’s been like a game changer for me. So if you see a Tushar Deshpande before 2020 and if you see me now, there’s a lot of difference. So all goes to those exercises and embracing the challenge.

4. Would you have suggested the same to your younger self to follow? 

Yes, absolutely it would have been great. I would have bought that suggestion a bit earlier in my career, but better late than never getting it from Mahi Bhai, because as a youngster, we follow him blindly. So I started doing it got rewards out of it.

5. Which cricketer inspired you and whose posters did you have in your room as a kid?

I think to begin with when I was very young it was Adam Gilchrist and all the left handlers. Matthew Hayden, Brian Lara, Sourav Ganguly all those left handlers because I’m a left-hander. Once I started fast bowing and was selected as a fast bower at Shivaji Park then it was purely Brett Lee and Dale Steyn, and then I used to watch videos of all the Caribbean legends. But it was mainly all the fast bowlers who were at their prime in those days.

6. What is the secret recipe of CSK and does whoever represents them, go on to praise them? What according to you makes it so special?

The most important thing about CSK is MS Dhoni. First of all, when he’s sitting in the dressing room, most players are completely different, and that’s why CSK have won so much. If you lose, the dressing room atmosphere is always the same. If you win, there’s no big celebrations, nothing like that. If you lose, no one is that low, or no one goes into a depression or anything. So it’s constant. The way we practice the way we prepare is very hard.

We always speak about improvements, and what we can improve from the game that has passed by. So I think that’s the secret of staying grounded and staying at a certain level. No matter what bad performances don’t hamper any individual or good performances. The individual doesn’t go sky-high, so that’s the key.

7. How did you manage the pressure while bowling in crucial situations and what is your state of mind?

I love pressure, to be honest. I want to bowl the tough overs and it’s been my thinking since I started playing cricket that I play this game because I want to make a difference for my team. I don’t just want to step on the park and just play the game bowl the safe over and come out of the park. I want to bowl that tough overs I want to handle that pressure. That’s where my personal growth and my chances to play for the country increase and I always wanted to do that, be it life or cricket.

It has been my thinking since I’ve started playing cricket and also the main game-changing thing came up for me because CSK trusted in me doing that job for them. So believing in myself was a different thing, but CSK trusting me in that job was a complete game changer for me because when someone believes that you can hold those tough overs for them and you’re delivering under pressure, that’s where the confidence increases, and that’s where you flourish.

8. Other than CSK, which other team would you like to play for and why?

First of all I would love to be a part of CSK again because I’ve been there in the culture for the last four years and it’s been like best years for me in IPL. But if not CSK, I would love to get a bid from Mumbai Indians (MI) because it’s been my home team and playing for your home team in front of your home crowd is a different feeling. So I played in a couple of games at Wankhede Stadium in the last two years when CSK played against MI. The atmosphere is completely different playing in front of your home crowd. Even if I was playing in the yellow jersey under MS Dhoni‘s captaincy there were people cheering for me who were donning the Mumbai jersey.

8. You got a ton for Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy, so do you believe you can contribute equally with the bat?

I feel I can contribute with the bat and whenever I’ve got an opportunity to bat, I’ve always done my part in domestic cricket. So it was just a matter of time getting a right opportunity because I feel whenever when I bat lower down the order. There’s not much to achieve if I’m batting at number 10 or 11. But if I could get an opportunity to bat at number eight or number seven, there could be a big game-changing factor you could see in me because I started as a batter, and I have great basics as a batter. So if an opportunity comes, I would love to capitalize onto it.

9. You were the first-ever Impact Player in the IPL. What was the feeling when you subbed the other guy?

I think personally speaking of the Impact Player rule played in my favor because I got an opportunity to play. I was the Impact Player for the first four to five games for CSK which gave me an opportunity to display my talent. Then later on some other one was the impact player. But I feel personally I got an opportunity which I would say was a positive for me from the rule.

It was a good feeling because this rule was never introduced in IPL before and always the firsts are very special. So I felt good thing, but I feel a lot of things have come up against that rule as well but I feel it allows youngsters. No matter what you’re in the first 11 or not, you’re always in the game. You don’t know where an Impact Player might come in and change the situation of the game. So even if you’re setting out you’re in the 15, you are always in the game. So I feel this rule has worked well for me.

But I think T20 cricket is going to a different level. No matter impact player is there or not. You have seen a lot of high scores being scored in the South Africa vs India series. I feel the whole T20 cricket is going to a different level. Batters are going very hard against the bowlers from ball one and. It’s the way they are thinking and the way the game is going on internationally. It’s been a lot of high scores, I feel nothing because of the impact that is a lot of high scores but the T20 cricket has evolved.

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10. Since you have already made your debut for India in T20Is, what are your plans for playing all the three formats?

My next goal is to represent India in Tests, and being a three-format player comes naturally to me and I work towards it because growing up there wasn’t any format I was looking to play. It (the dream) was always playing red-ball cricket for India. So once I started playing for India, my preparation was for playing Tests and ODIs for India. I am preparing to play in all three formats. Playing in the shorter format is easy for me physically, I feel I can play in all three and I am doing that by performing in domestic circuits and IPL, India A. I look forward to the same after recovering.

11. What is the difference between domestic and International cricket, since you have experienced both?

It is a matter of pride when you play for your country and wear that India jersey because it is a dream for me and my family. I don’t think many people believe in me except my wife, family, and close friends. But when I made my debut it was a whole flashback in front of my eyes. Its always pride when you play for your country and performance matters the most.