MS Dhoni went on a rampage in the last over, delivering some pure vintage hitting that sent the audience into a frenzy, with 72 runs needed in the next four overs. However, it was all for nothing.
Ruturaj Gaikwad, captain of the Chennai Super Kings, feels that the team’s inability to score runs in the first few overs was the key to their 20-run loss to the Delhi Capitals. In the last over, MS Dhoni went on a rampage and unleashed some pure vintage hitting, sending the crowd into a frenzy after tottering in the powerplay. Aside from Dhoni’s genius, the CSK hitters found it difficult to make an impact during the powerplay. Khaleel Ahmed’s brilliant spell turned the tide in DC’s favor. However, Mukesh Kumar stole the show by taking wickets at crucial junctures in the match.
After the match, Gaikwad spoke candidly about CSK’s early struggles, saying, “I was rather pleased with how the bowlers responded to the powerplay.” It was a nice attempt to limit them to 191. First inning conditions for the pitch were favorable. The second inning featured spongy bounce and increased seam movement. I had a strong feeling that Rachin was significantly missing it. That’s what made the difference—we couldn’t get going in the first three overs.
A 68-run partnership between Daryl Mitchell and Ajinkya Rahane allowed CSK to gradually claw their way back into the match. But Mukesh distinguished himself for DC with a superb spell, making sure CSK didn’t catch up to the necessary pace.
“At the midway point, it was feasible. There was more seam movement, but we couldn’t capitalize, so we were continually behind. “We didn’t get the big over to reduce the run rate,” Gaikwad explained.
Coming into the match, CSK was chasing a herculean total of 192 and despite struggling in the powerplay, they clawed their way back into the game thanks to Rahane and Mitchell’s stand.
With 72 runs needed in the final four overs, MS Dhoni went on a rampage, hitting some iconic vintage shots in the final -, sending the audience into a frenzy.
However, his easy stroke play was insufficient to secure CSK’s unbroken record.
