In a happy chasing ground, Mahendra Singh Dhoni won the toss and opted to field first. The toss itself could have made fans to predict Chennai Super Kings (CSK) are the ultimate winners of the contest but, the Delhi Daredevils (DD) has other ideas in the mind which were implemented to the perfection.
However, CSK skipper Dhoni is not much worried about the loss as he feels that wicket played a major role in the loss.
We could have done slightly different: MS Dhoni
Speaking of the match, Dhoni reiterated wicket proved on the slower side as the game progressed at Feroz Shah Kotla on Friday (May 18). He added that they have got the reason for the loss which would help them to address it in their impending games.
Dhoni further stated they would have batted a little bit better in their approach to the chase.
”Wicket kept getting slower and slower. Their bowlers also bowled really well. Difficult to predict how the wicket behaves, sometimes it behaves well and sometimes it turns like this. We needed someone to score those extra 15-20 runs. Have to be practical looking at the wicket as long as we know where we went wrong. Something going wrong is a part and parcel but if you know the reason why it went wrong, it becomes easier to come back from that. We know the reasons and what we could have done slightly different,” Dhoni said during the presentation.
The 36-year-old leader added they are looking forward to playing their A game while focussing on the middle-order line-up.
”Overall, yes, slightly disappointed with the loss but I don’t think we could have done much. (Whether complacency came) What I told them is not to look at the points table, take it one game at a time. Keep strengthening what your strengths are, at the same time also strengthen your weaknesses. We also want to improve in certain areas. Apart from the openers, we need to get partnerships in the middle order,” he added to his lines.
If we get our death bowling sorted out, it will be very good: MS Dhoni
Dhoni once again highlighted the problem of death bowling for CSK. He added that he knows that a bowler can have an off day but the other bowler needs to pull up their socks in order to give those two crucial overs for the team.
Dhoni concluded it by saying that they need to shuffle their bowlers a lot in the next level of the tournament to counter the death bowling issue.
”They need to be mentally ready for this than physically. I think apart from that, we are doing well. If we get our death bowling sorted out, it will be very good. Still, have one more game and then into the eliminators (playoffs), so let’s see. (On death bowling worries) We’ll try to manage it, that’s what the reality is. At the end of the day, you can give 100 different plans to the bowlers, depends on his strength and the conditions,” he added.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni who has been in some form remarked the side has to give their ‘best’ in the playoffs stages.
”Lot of times, you’ll have to shuffle the bowlers according to how the wicket is doing, that’s what we’ll have to do in the playoffs. Those are the games when you need to be at your best. It includes everybody, anyone can have an off day but if someone can chip in with one or two overs, we can cover it up. That’s the real time when everyone has to play as a team,” Dhoni concluded.
All in all, Super Kings made themselves be in a trickier position in the IPL 2018 points table.
Well. if Kolkata Knight Riders can manage to win against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH( with a decent run-rate, they can thump down CSK to the third position. In that case, it will be a must-win clash for CSK against Kings XI Punjab (KXIP).