Stephen Fleming, Chennai Super King head coach said he had a chat with MS Dhoni over his parents’ health after it emerged that the World Cup-winning former captain’s mother and father tested positive for Covid-19 in Ranchi. MS Dhoni led CSK to an 18-run win against KKR in Mumbai on Wednesday.
Chennai Super Kings head coach Stephen Fleming said on Wednesday that he has had a chat with MS Dhoni and the franchise is providing their captain all the support he needs after it emerged that his parents tested positive for Covid-19.
Stephen Fleming: Support Has Been Set Up For MS Dhoni’s Family
MS Dhoni’s parents Devaki Devi and Pan Singh were admitted to a private hospital in Ranchi after they tested positive for Covid-19. The hospital said on Wednesday that their oxygen levels were stable.
MS Dhoni overcame the difficult situation and led Chennai Super Kings to an 18-run win in their Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 match against Kolkata Knight Riders in Mumbai on Wednesday. MS Dhoni focussed on the job at hand and marshaled his troops well as CSK jumped to the top of the IPL points table after their victory.
Stephen Fleming, speaking to the press after CSK’s win, said he had a chat with MS Dhoni and that the former India cricketer had told him that the situation was under control back in Ranchi. The coach stressed that CSK is making it a point to spend a lot of time talking about family among the team, considering the Covid-19 situation in India.
“Not a lot of talk about this (Dhoni’s family) between the players. But from the management’s point of view, we are well aware of his family’s situation. Support has been set up for his family,” Stephen Fleming said.
“I had a talk with MS and the situation is under control for now. We will monitor the situation for the next few days. It is a tough time for everybody, especially in India at the moment.
“We are spending quite a lot of time talking about care in the wider group of friends and family. We have that responsibility to ensure MS has the support that he needs. We hope his family recovers quickly,” Stephen Fleming added.
Notably, it was the third successive win for CSK in IPL 2021 as the 3-time champions are returning to peak form after a poor run in the UAE last year.
MS Dhoni Led CSK To 3rd Successive Win After Ruturaj Gaikwad, Faf Du Plessis, And Deepak Chahar’s Heroics
MS Dhoni promoted himself to bat at No. 4 and hit a quickfire 17 as CSK went on to post a mammoth total of 220. Faf du Plessis stole the show with an unbeaten 95 while young opener Ruturaj Gaikwad returned to form with a 42-ball 64.
Kolkata was jolted early as pacer Deepak Chahar picked up 4 wickets, reducing the 2-time champions to 31 for 5. However, Andre Russell (22-ball 54), Dinesh Karthik (24-ball 40), and Pat Cummins (34-ball 66 not out) helped KKR stage a stunning fightback as the match became a thriller instead of a one-sided contest.
Despite the late surge, KKR fell short of the target by a mere 18 runs as Pat Cummins ran out of partners at the other end. CSK, who will look to continue the winning momentum, will next face Royal Challengers Bangalore on Sunday in Mumbai. KKR will be looking to bounce back when they take on former champions Rajasthan Royals in Mumbai on Saturday, April 24.
Chennai Super Kings 220 for 3 (du Plessis 95, Gaikwad 64) beat Kolkata Knight Riders 202 (Cummins 66*, Russell 54, Chahar 4-29, Ngidi 3-28) by 18 runs.