Chennai Super Kings (CSK) head coach Stephen Fleming has revealed that there was an intense discussion going on over who should go after Ruturaj Gaikwad’s wicket against Delhi Capitals (DC). And, the captain MS Dhoni decided to go in, and the coach backed the captain’s instinct.
And, CSK beat DC by four wickets in Qualifier 1 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) in Dubai on Sunday and reached the final for the ninth time. While chasing 173, Chennai lost Gaikwad (70) at the start of the 19th over. Needing 24 runs from 11, Dhoni came to bat and smashed an unbeaten 18 off six balls to help CSK win the game as well.
At a post-match interaction, Fleming revealed: “There was a lot of chat. We spoke more in those 20 overs than we have for a long time. There was a lot of technical discussion and maneuvering to try and work out how this was going to unfold. When the captain got looked in his eyes, he said ‘I’ll go’; it’s been well-documented the times that he has done that. Today was one of those. I ain’t holding him back, and we saw the result of that.”
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“It was emotionally great for us. We wish him every time he goes out. We know the pressure he has and the expectation there is on him. Again, he came up trumps for us. It was emotional in many ways, and was very important. And the captain had the opportunity to do that for us,” the CSK coach further added about the quickfire cameo of MS Dhoni.
However, before Dhoni’s masterclass at the end, Gaikwad and Robin Uthappa (63 off 44) laid the foundation with a stunning 110-run stand for the second wicket. While many believe CSK are not doing justice with Ravindra Jadeja’s batting talent since he bats down the order, the head coach said they are more concerned about what works best for CSK.
“He (Jadeja) is real class. He may come out at No. 5 in the final. We know how good he is. But we are also trying to utilise our other resources well. There is this discussion about Dhoni all the time. If you want to have it about Jadeja, it is the same thing. His finishing ability at the moment is first-class, and we have got other players who are very good through the middle,” Stephen Fleming said in praise of Jadeja.
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He added: “Instead of concentrating on one player, you have to keep looking at the package. There’s no doubt that going forward Jadeja is going to play a key role, probably up the order a bit more. At the moment, his form and the way he is training is world class.”
However, Jadeja came into bat at No. 8 but did not face a ball, as MS Dhoni hit three fours in the last over to take CSK home.
