"He does not tell beforehand what to do, to the players" - Pragyan Ojha on CSK captain MS Dhoni's approach
MS Dhoni marked his return as captain of the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) with a win over the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in their IPL 2022 match at the MCA Stadium in Pune on Sunday, May 1.
Former Indian player Pragyan Ojha shed light on playing under MS Dhoni. The left-arm spinner claimed that the captain did most of his work on the ground in terms of planning and strategy.
Blockbuster opening and a 🥳 Climax! What a close to Sunday! 😍
#SRHvsCSK #WhistlePodu #Yellove 🦁💛 https://t.co/Z1xrRAPaW8
The former India captain took charge of the franchise once again after Ravindra Jadeja relinquished control following a poor start to the season.
Revealing that MS Dhoni's team meetings were always pretty short, Ojha said on Cricbuzz:
"MS Dhoni's team meetings are quite short, he does most of the work on the ground. He does not tell beforehand what to do to the players. He just tells the coaching staff to ensure that the players are ready, he keeps a tab on everything that is going on in the team."
The 13-run win over SRH kept CSK mathematically alive for a playoff spot. With six points after nine matches, the defending champions are level with the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the bottom end of the IPL points table 2022.
Former India bowler RP Singh believes that CSK still have a chance of qualifying, but noted that one more loss could seal their fate. He said:
"It is not like they are out of it yet. If they lose one more they are gone, but if they keep winning, they have a chance. It is not like this is happening for the first time, nothing is impossible."
In their 13-year history in the competition, CSK have only failed to qualify for the playoffs once. They finished seventh in the 2020 edition, which was played in the UAE.
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"The match turned when Mukesh Choudhary picked the wickets of Abhishek Sharma and Rahul Tripathi" - RP Singh on CSK defending 202
SRH started on a positive start in their pursuit of the mammoth total. Abhishek Sharma, in particular, kept the run rate well above the required rate with a blistering attack against the CSK bowlers.
Fast and Fourius! 😍
#SRHvCSK #Yellove #WhistlePodu 🦁💛 https://t.co/a28vQ0hjvG
The four-time champions then struck twice in the last over of the powerplay, with Mukesh Choudhary claiming the wickets of the well-set Abhishek Sharma and the in-form Rahul Tripathi.
Opining that the twin strike by the left-arm seamer changed the complexion of the game, Singh said:
"The match turned when Mukesh Choudhary picked the wickets of Abhishek Sharma and Rahul Tripathi in the last two balls of the powerplay. When you are chasing a score of 200, the batter keeps calculating the fall of wickets, and that adds more pressure."
The MS Dhoni-led side will next face a struggling RCB at the MCA Stadium in Pune on Wednesday, May 4.