MS Dhoni, the Chennai Super Kings captain, has said his side is “hurting” after they suffered their eighth defeat in 11 games to be rooted to the bottom of the points table.
After the Super Kings labored to 30 for 6 after which 114 to 9 in their 20 overs, the defending champions Mumbai Indians mowed the goal within 13 overs, handing the Super Kings their initial ten-wicket defeat from the IPL, in Sharjah.”Well, it does hurt and what you need to see is exactly what would be the things which are going wrong,” Dhoni told host broadcaster Star Sports in the post-match presentation.
“And especially this year has not been our year and everything apart from one or two games where we’ve batted and bowled well together and fielded well together…So, at the close of the day, whether you lose by eight wickets or ten wickets it barely matters. Where we are in the condition of this tournament, it will surely hurt, and that I think all the players are hurting and they’re trying their very best.
It doesn’t always go your way, but hopefully, in the next three games, we’ll attempt to possibly put our final stand.”Because of their five-wicket win against Mumbai from the season opener in Abu Dhabi, the Super Kings have not clicked in unison, lurching from 1 reduction to another. Injuries have not helped them either. Their key middle-order batsman Ambati Rayudu sustained a hamstring strain because a Mumbai game in which he scored a 48-ball 71, and although he returned to action after missing two matches, he hasn’t been as eloquent as he was at the opener.
Then, in a vital battle against the Delhi Capitals, their designated death bowler Dwayne Bravo wasn’t readily available to bowl the final over because of a groin injury. After Bravo was subsequently sidelined from the remainder of the IPL, the Super Kings rejigged their side from the return fixture from Mumbai on Friday, giving Imran Tahir his very first game of the tournament as well as including rookies Ruturaj Gaikwad and N Jagadeesan.
While the two batsmen bagged ducks at a top-order collapse induced by Trent Boult and Jasprit Bumrah, Tahir went wicketless, as did the rest of the Super Kings bowlers. Dhoni put the Super Kings’ sharp drop to a combination of these things.”Again, what you want to see is the place you again went wrong,” Dhoni said. “I felt the second game [from the Rajasthan Royals] was about the bowling; batting was not turning up, and Rayudu got injured.
A number of the other players got an opportunity and maybe they weren’t there 200 percent or maybe they weren’t able to perform. It just kept on putting pressure on the batting order and if we never got off to a good beginning, it became more and more challenging for the middle order.”In cricket, once you’re going through a challenging phase, there are a few things which need to go your way – a little luck is always great and I felt in this championship it has not really gone our way.
In the matches where we wanted to bat first, we haven’t actually won the toss, and also in games batting second, the wicket has slowed down or there may be dew. All [a] sudden, we then choose to bat first and there’s a good deal of dew on the area. If things have not gone your way, those are the things that you research and see what you can offer the players for them to perform.”Trent Boult trapped Ruturaj Gaikwad in the first over of the game BCCIWhen asked if not playing in their home ground in the MA Chidambaram Stadium, where Dhoni usually controls the match with his spinners on turning tracks, had crippled them, Dhoni reiterated that there could be a”hundred reasons” for their battles in the UAE.
“Whenever you’re not doing well, there may be a hundred reasons, particularly in the event that you sit and pick up the motives as to why we are not doing well. But, the most important thing that you ask yourself or as a team is whether you’re playing to the possibility that you have got. Like, say, all of the terms maybe, when you put up a playing XI that seems great on paper, have they done to translating that fantastic stats that they’ve got onto the area? I think this year, we’ve not done this and cumulatively when three or four of your batsmen are not doing well in the batting order, it becomes more and harder.
“The Super Kings can still mathematically sneak into the playoffs, however, Dhoni was pragmatic, shifting his attention towards identifying players for IPL 2021, which might be played from next April.”It’s essential for people to have a clear picture of annually,” he explained. “There are a lot of ifs and buts: the kind of auction we are looking into next season, where the venues will be. It is always good to give guys who have not so far got enough opportunities to make a settled playing XI.
You give them enough opportunities to truly give them a platform where they can do and show their gift.”New Zealand spin-bowling allrounder Mitchell Santner and local bowlers KM Asif and R Sai Kishore who have not got a game so far this year are likely to be tested out in the Super Kings’ last three fixtures this season.”So the coming three games will be a perfect chance,” Dhoni said. “We need to make the most of it since you don’t really wish to be in a situation like this, but as soon as you are what’s the most that you can buy? Plus it is preparation for the following year.”
