Chennai Super Kings (CSK) skipper MS Dhoni blamed the Chepauk dew after his team suffered a six-wicket defeat at the hands of Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL) on Sunday.
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Opting to bat first at Chennai’s MA Chidambaram Stadium, the CSK batting lineup hardly got going as they struggled against the spin duo of Sunil Narine and Varun Chakravarthy, and could only post a modest 144/6.
KKR got off to a shaky start in reply, with Deepak Chahar striking thrice in the powerplay, before skipper Nitish Rana and Rinku Singh slammed fifties and stitched a match-winning partnership worth 99 to guide the team to a comfortable six-wicket victory with nine deliveries to spare.
“The dew made a big difference in the second innings. We can’t really blame any of our bowlers. Just that the conditions had a big impact on the game,” Dhoni, who waved to the crowd, said at the post-match presentation.
“When we bowled the first ball in the second innings, we knew we needed 180. But there was no way we could have got 180 on that pitch,” Dhoni said after the match.
Watch: Narine castles Rayudu, Moeen in one superb over during CSK-KKR clash
The only CSK batter who offered any resistance whatsoever was in-form all-rounder Shivam Dube, who struck three sixes and a four in his 34-ball 48 and forged a 68-run sixth-wicket stand with Ravindra Jadeja (20).
“Very happy with what Shivam has done, but important think is that he is not satisfied and keeps improving,” MSD said on Dube’s contribution.
Dhoni, meanwhile, was seen doing a lap of honour around Chepauk with the rest of the CSK team and coaching staff after what was the final league match of the season at the venue. The legendary skipper tossed a few tennis balls into the stands with a racquet and even signed on cricketer-turned-commentator Sunil Gavaskar’s shirt, and was in a jovial mood despite the defeat.
Winning captain Rana, meanwhile, was delighted by the manner with which his spinners operated on the day. Veteran off-spinner Narine was the pick of the bowlers with his haul of 2/15 from four overs, with Chakravarthy also grabbing two wickets to stifle the flow of runs.
“The ball didn’t turn in the second innings. Credit to our spinners for how well they bowled. I always felt that if I or Rinku could hold one end up, we will chase this down. That’s what happened,” Rana said.
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