'Milestones Don't Really Matter...' MS Dhoni after CSK's Last-Over Defeat to RR
MS Dhoni rolled back the years with his power-hitting at the death (Source: IPLT20.com)
Rajasthan Royals clinched a narrow 3-run victory over Chennai Super Kings in Match 17 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023, held on Wednesday at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. The thrilling win propelled Rajasthan Royals to the summit of the points table with three victories in four matches, while Chennai Super Kings remained fifth with two wins and two defeats.
After the enthralling encounter, the skipper of Chennai Super Kings, MS Dhoni, who nearly took his team over the line, reflected on the game and disclosed the reason behind their narrow defeat.
Dhoni stated that their performance in the middle phase of the game left much to be desired in terms of strike rotation. He added that despite the lack of spin on the pitch, RR boasted a formidable lineup of seasoned spinners, which halted CSK's bid to rotate strike in the middle overs.
“I think in the middle overs we needed a bit more strike rotation, there wasn't much for the spinners but they had experienced spinners and we could not rotate strike,” said Dhoni in the post-match presentation.
The Indian veteran asserted that the culpability of the defeat should lie with the batters. He also commended the team's ability to reach striking distance of the target in the final overs. Dhoni further highlighted the impact of net run rate on the team's fortunes in the latter stages of the tournament, urging the team to maintain a healthy run rate.
“It was not that difficult and the ownership (of the loss) should come from the batters. It was good that we could reach striking distance (of the target) as we were the last pair. It really affects NRR when you get to the last phase of the tournament,” added the legendary skipper.
Dhoni went on to reckon that reaching his 200th match as skipper for CSK did not hold any particular significance for him. In his view, personal milestones such as these do not hold much weight compared to the importance of delivering top-notch performance and achieving desirable outcomes for the team.
“I really didn't know it was my 200th (game as CSK skipper) and milestones don't really matter for me, it is about how you're performing and the results," concluded Dhoni.
Earlier in the day, having been invited to bat first, Rajasthan Royals lost Yashasvi Jaiswal early, but Jos Buttler and Devdutt Padikkal's partnership of 77 runs in 41 balls helped the team get back on track. However, quick dismissals of Padikkal and Sanju Samson put a brake on the scoring rate.
Buttler struggled to regain momentum after his fifty, but he finally broke the shackles by hitting two sixes off Akash Singh. A late cameo from Shimron Hetmyer helped Rajasthan Royals set a target of 175.
In response, CSK lost Ruturaj Gaikwad early but they responded positively to the chase, with Devon Conway and Ajinkya Rahane's 68-run partnership. However, the pitch's slow turn made it difficult for the batters to score freely, and Yuzvendra Chahal and Ravichandran Ashwin bowled a tight spell.
Ravindra Jadeja and MS Dhoni rekindled hope with a late flurry of runs, but Sandeep Sharma's series of yorkers in the final over restricted Chennai Super Kings to fall short of the target by just three runs.
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