MS Dhoni opines on Spirit of Cricket: The Chennai Super Kings captain was vocal about an additional advantage for CSK.
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During the 12th match of the ongoing 12th season of the Indian Premier League between Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals at Chennai, Chennai Super Kings defeated Rajasthan Royals by 8 runs in what was a cliffhanger of a match.
Having registered their third consecutive victory in IPL 2019, Chennai have now reached the top of the table and are the only team to remain unbeaten in the tournament so far.
Speaking during the post-match presentation ceremony, Super Kings captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni disclosed what was going through his mind when he came out to bat at 27/3 in the fifth over. “We wanted to get a partnership going. We knew there was some dew on the field.
“We knew it would get easier as the game progresses, We bat quite deep. We could accelerate in the last few overs, and we wanted to get a partnership going,” Dhoni was quoted as saying. Eventually, it was Dhoni and vice-captain Suresh Raina (36) who stitched a 61-run stand for the fourth wicket to consolidate CSK’s innings.
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Making a solitary change to the playing XI tonight, Super Kings included all-rounder Mitchell Santner in place of veteran off-spinner Harbhajan Singh. On being asked about the same, Dhoni explained why the team management decided to make the change.
“We have a stable XI and there were a lot less left-handers in the opposition, so we gave Mitch Santner a go. As the tournament progresses everyone will get more chances. As the tournament progresses, bowlers start executing their plans much better.
“Initially I thought we would look at how the fast bowlers would bowl so we could bring in the spinners. Jadeja and Santner found it hard to grip the ball. Irrespective of the results , it is important to cut the boundaries and it is difficult for the fast bowlers to execute,” Dhoni said.
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While the first match in Chennai had received flak because of the sluggish nature of the pitch, this one gained eyeballs because of excessive dew. Being asked about the same, Dhoni jokingly shared an idea to reduce the same. “We need to cut the grass thinner [laughs] but I don’t think this is a controllable factor,” Dhoni added.
Before concluding, the legendary skipper was asked about the incessant support which CSK receives from the crowd during their home games. Referring the crowd to the 12th man of the team, Dhoni considered it as a factor which makes the game interesting.
“The home franchise will always get more support than the opposition. That’s where spirit of the game comes in – the crowd is always behind the home team. That’s what makes cricket very interesting. As long as you’re on the field and spending money to come and watch, I don’t mind which team you’re supporting,” Dhoni concluded.
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