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We are an all-round side: Dhoni

Dhoni said that the core of the team was intact and he would expect a strong show by his side in this edition also

Press Trust of India Chennai
Chennai Super Kings captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni is upbeat about the chances of his side in the ongoing IPL, saying that he has got an all-round team with some impact players in it.

Talking to the media at the launch of CSK merchandise here today, Dhoni said that the core of the team was intact and he would expect a strong show by his side in this edition also.

"We have done pretty well in the all the five editions so far. Our batsmen have contributed to the success of the team. We have got cricketers who cover-up all the aspects so there is a good bunch of players to look up to. And you have someone like S Badrinath who has been so consistent with the bat. So it's a settled line-up," he said.

CSK have won the title twice and finished runners-up once in the five editions so far and they opened their campaign this season with a match against Mumbai Indians at home on April 6.

Dhoni said it was an added advantage of his side that they have some India players who have recently won a Test series against Australia.

"We have a quite a few players in the squad who have been part of the set up for some time now. Some of the players are coming into the tournament fresh from the series against Australia. So it is good to have players in form," said the India captain.

"You got to keep in mind that Test cricket is different from IPL. But the form of the players would be a big boost," he said.

Asked if he considers his India team-mates as impact players, Dhoni said, "It's not we don't rely on foreigners that much. We think Albie (Morkel) can provide the team with some big hits in the middle. At the same time the local players have also done well.

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First Published: Apr 04 2013 | 5:35 PM IST

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