MS Dhoni led Chennai Super Kings won their fifth consecutive game in the ongoing edition of the Indian Premier League by defeating Delhi Capitals by 7 wickets. The team is comfortably sitting at the top of the points table right now with 5 wins out of the 6 games they have played so far.
After leading CSK to their 5th consecutive win, skipper MS Dhoni talked about what went wrong for the three-time champions in the 2020 edition.
In the previous edition of the league, which was played in the UAE, Chennai Super Kings failed to make it to the playoffs for the first time in the history of the league and ended up at the seventh position.
Talking about the previous season, skipper MS Dhoni implied an extended lockdown and longer quarantine as some of the reasons behind CSK’s failure in the previous season. However, he was all praises for his team for taking on more responsibility this year and for being in the right frame of mind. He said:
“The earlier you settle (in the tournament), the better. The other factor was 5-6 months we were out of cricket. Nothing was allowed. It’s not that you could go on your own and practice. That also makes it difficult. Change of quarantine (this year made it better). It was slightly longer (last year). There were a lot of factors. Overall if I have to sum it up, the players have taken more responsibility this year. You will be facing adverse things, but ultimately it boils down to how each individual rises to the occasion and gives the extra 10% for the team.”
He added:
“Last 8-10 years, we’ve not changed a lot of players, so the players know our approach. Also, we appreciate the players not playing a lot. The only way you can put it forward is by having those nice interactions. Just try to have a frame of mind where if you get the opportunity, you’ll be ready.
“Keeping the dressing room atmosphere healthy is important. It’s not an easy thing. When you’re at the top level, you want to play. Have to give extra credit to the players who’ve not played so far,”
Five wins in a row and @ChennaiIPL sit atop the table. #SRH are at No. 8. https://t.co/dvbR7X1Kzc #VIVOIPL #CSKvSRH pic.twitter.com/azvYnZOL8E
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 28, 2021
MS Dhoni also talked about the performance of his team in the last match and expressed his surprise with how the wicket played on the night. Praising the team’s batting, which was a matter of concern for CSK last year, MS Dhoni said:
“The batting was superb. But that doesn’t mean the bowling was not good. It was a surprisingly good wicket. Whenever we come to Delhi, we never expect a wicket like this. It was coming on nicely; there was nothing for the spinners as well. The good thing was there was no dew. Earlier, we felt 170 was just below par if there’s no dew. We had a brilliant opening partnership.”
Meanwhile, CSK will now lock horns against the defending champions Mumbai Indians (MI) at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi on Saturday.
