India
Calcutta: In a match between the current India captain and his predecessor, Mahendra Singh Dhoni triumphed, while Virat Kohli was left to criticise his bowlers.
Dhoni’s Chennai Super Kings played superbly to get the better of Kohli’s Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), at the Chinnaswamy.
Chasing a 206-run target, the Super Kings won in 19.4 overs with Dhoni playing a match-winning unbeaten knock of 70 off just 34 balls. He hit seven sixes. Ambati Rayudu was the Super Kings’ top scorer with 82.
At the post-match presentation ceremony, Dhoni, who was also adjudged the Man of the Match, said it was a difficult chase. “I thought it was a difficult chase when I saw AB (de Villiers) getting them (RCB) over 200… I thought it was 15-20 beyond par. We also lost some key batsmen early, but it’s a small ground, the ball travels a lot here, there was some dew, though not a lot,” Dhoni said.
But happy with the win, Dhoni added: “Overall, it went according to the script, not according to how we would have thought, but it went well.”
Kohli, on the other hand, was somewhat distraught. “There are many things we can look at… The way we bowled was just not acceptable, giving that many runs in the end was criminal. It is something we need to address going forward. If we can’t defend 200, then it’s a problem,” the India captain said.
About Dhoni’s effort, Kohli said: “MS is looking in really good touch, he’s hitting the ball really well in this IPL, but it’s not great to see it against us.”
Dhoni lauded RCB’s De Villiers, but had more praise for his bowlers. “This was a slightly slowish wicket, AB’s innings was very special, it seemed as if he took them at a really good pace, especially against good quality spinners.”
Asked how he planned the chase, Dhoni said: “What’s important in a chase is to know which bowler has how many overs left and who the captain will bowl when and you play accordingly.
“You will win some, you’ll lose some, but the job of the finisher is to finish the job and help others, sharing the experience with others… All those things really matter because I may not be in that position in the next match. Someone else may be.”
Praising Rayudu, Dhoni said: “He is important in this line-up because he keeps the scoreboard moving, and small grounds are ideal for him. On a bigger ground, he may lose his shape a little while hitting those shots.”
Kohli is not losing all hope. “We have to back the guys and have enough confidence in them and they need to be clear in their head to execute things,” he said.
