MS Dhoni led Chennai Super Kings have continued their fine form after winning the match against Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL 2021 recently. CSK won the toss and opted to field first. Virat Kohli led RCB got off to a flying start at Sharjah Cricket Stadium.
While Virat Kohli scored a stunning 53 off 41 with 6 fours and a six, it was his opening partner Devdutt Padikkal, who stole the limelight by scoring a blitzy 70 off 50 balls which also included 5 fours and 3 sixes. They both added 11 runs in 13.2 overs but the middle-order failed to carry that momentum and they eventually post 156 runs in 20 overs.
READ HERE: Aakash Chopra opens up on New Zealand’s T20 World Cup squad
In reply, Chennai Super Kings reached the target in 18.1 overs. While Ruturaj Gaikwad and Faf du Plessis provided a flying start, it was Suresh Raina and also MS Dhoni who finished off the chase in style as CSK registered yet another convincing win by 6 wickets over RCB. Notably, Raina and Dhoni kept their cool towards the end, scoring 17 and 11 respectively as well. However, after the game, CSK player Robin Uthappa was seen coming up to Suresh Raina and MS Dhoni to collect their helmets and bats as well.
💛#WhistlePodu#csk pic.twitter.com/fPHWTP1yCZ
— Chakri Dhoni (@ChakriDhonii) September 25, 2021
MS Dhoni, after winning the game, said: “We were worried about the dew and we saw that last season. They got off to a great start and after the eighth or ninth over, the pitch slowed down a bit. Jadeja’s spell was very crucial especially with the way Padikkal was batting from one end. I told Moeen that he would bowl from one end during drinks, but then I changed my mind. I decided Bravo should bowl because the more you delayed him, the more difficult it was given that he’d have to bowl four straight overs in these difficult conditions. Our players have worked hard and understood their roles and responsibilities.”
READ HERE: Shaun Tait explains why speedsters struggle to bowl 150+kmph
“All three grounds here are different. This one is the slowest of the lot. I felt the left-right combination here was important with the bat. We bat deep with a lot of lefties and all of them are good to bat at any position, which is why we pushed Raina and Rayudu down. Bravo is fit and executing them well. I call him my brother and we always have fights over whether he should bowl the slower ball. But now everyone knows that he has the slower ball, so I told him to bowl six different balls in an over,” he concluded.
