IPL 2023: Chennai Super Kings succumbed to a consecutive home thrashing after falling short by six wickets against Punjab Kings on Sunday. Meanwhile, MS Dhoni has his bowlers to blame.
Former four-time champion Chennai Super Kings (CSK) skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni was left ruing the four-wicket defeat to Punjab Kings (PBKS) in their den, saying the bowlers need to be more aware of the situation and also indicated that the execution was probably "bad". CSK had a good chance of victory after posting 200 for four at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, thanks chiefly to another Devon Conway special of unbeaten 92. Still, the Shikhar Dhawan-led side hit the winning runs off the last ball to silence the yellow brigade on Sunday.
"We lost it in a couple of overs in the middle. You must be aware of what you must bowl and be clear because the batters will be going for it [big hits]. [Matheesha] Pathirana bowled well, but other than that, we need to see if the plans were wrong or the execution was bad," said Dhoni.
Barring openers Conway and Ruturaj Gaikwad (37), none of the other batters could make an impact, and Dhoni felt his team could have scored another ten runs. "We should be doing better with the bat. The pitch had turn. There was some turn when it hit the seam. The slower balls gripped. I think 200 [runs] was par. Also, could we have got ten more towards the end of our innings?" he questioned.
Winning team skipper Shikhar Dhawan said it was a special feeling defeating CSK in Chennai and praised wicket-keeper Jitesh Sharma (21 off ten balls) and Liam Livingstone (40 off 24) coming to the party. "It feels very, very special beating Chennai in Chennai. I am thrilled with the way we played. It shows the extraordinary character of our side to bounce back from that loss and leave it behind," he remarked.
"All credit goes to the team and the support staff. I was thrilled at the way the bowlers bowled. At first, when I saw it, I thought the wicket was dry, but it had good bounce. As a captain, I wanted Liam to play more overs. And, Jitesh too. The good sign is that all the boys are performing," said Shikhar, who was involved in a 50-run partnership at the top with Prabhsimran Singh.
'Player of the match' Conway would be disappointed with the loss as the New Zealander's fifth half-century in IPL 2023 and his highest score this season -- an unbeaten 92 -- went in vain. "We thought 200 was a very competitive total, so a little bit disappointed that we lost this one," said Conway.
On his successful run, Conway said he likes to keep things simple. "We felt it [wicket] was a little bit slow when you hit the wicket. I try not to over-complicate things. I keep things as simple as possible. I try working closely with [batting coach] Mike [Michael] Hussey. Along with the other players, we have a lot of camp experience. Just try to work with them," he concluded.
(With inputs from PTI)
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