Indian player Piyush Chawla was impressed with the way Chennai Super Kings (CSK) captain MS Dhoni has batted despite CSK registering their second-lowest IPL score. The veteran has shown the right way to bat on a tricky surface but failed to get proper support from the other end. However, Dhoni has remained unbeaten at one end on 36, while CSK were bowled out for just 97 with four overs to spare. Piyush Chawla, however, believes that had CSK posted a total of close to 120, the game would have been much more thrilling.

Speaking to ESPNCiricinfo, Piyush Chawla said: “He (Dhoni) kept one end intact, but wickets kept on falling at the other end. If they had played out their entire 20 overs and scored even 25 more runs, the result of the game could have been something different. Dhoni had the capability to take his team to 120, but didn’t get enough support. He showed how to bat in tough conditions by hitting big shots and also respecting the good balls.”

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Although Mumbai Indians had just 98 runs to chase, CSK’s left-arm seamer Mukesh Choudhary did his best to trouble them. The new-ball bowler claimed three wickets and got some much-needed support from Simarjeet Singh, who scalped one as well.

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“When you have just 97 runs to defend, it looks like most of the game has been lost. However, at 35/4, if two more wickets had fallen, the game could have slipped out of Mumbai’s grasp. But you need to give credit to Tilak Varma for the way he batted maturely and also the way Hrithik Shokeen supported him,” Piyush Chawla concluded.