NEWS
Follow UsChennai Super Kings captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni felt that their good performances at the end of IPL 2020 have helped them comeback strongly this season as they reached the final by beating Delhi Capitals by five wickets on Sunday.
"Last season was the first time we didn't qualify into playoffs. But we wanted to just make use of the 3-4 games left last season, and a lot of our batters made use of that. That is the reason why we have come back strongly this season," Dhoni said during post-match presentation.
Dhoni took over CSK over the line with two balls to spare with an unbeaten 18 not out off 6 balls as he was pleased with his contributions.
"My innings was a crucial one. Delhi has a very good bowling attack. They exploited the conditions well, so we knew it would be tough. I've not done a lot in the tournament, so wanted to look for the ball and see what the bowler can do," he said.
"I was batting well in the nets. But wasn't thinking too much, if you think too much while batting then you mess your plans up," Dhoni added.
CSK rejigged their batting line up by sending Robin Uthappa in place of Moeen Ali which proved to be a masterstroke as the veteran batsman scored a match-winning 63 off 44 balls. Speaking about the switch, Dhoni said: "Robin enjoys batting at the top but Moeen has been excellent at No. 3. But we have created a situation where either of them could bat at No. 3 depending on the situation and the opposition."
The biggest contributor for CSK was opener Ruturaj Gaikwad who scored 70 off 50 balls which laid the foundation for the big chase. Dhoni hailed the youngster's improvement which saw him amass 603 runs in 15 matches at an average of 46.38.
"Whenever Ruturaj and I have a chat, its a simple chat. Want to know what he was thinking. Its good to see how well he has improved. He is someone willing to bat 20 overs."