IPL 2020: I think it was one game in which the climax went in our favor, says MS Dhoni
Chennai Super Kings skipper MS Dhoni said after the win over the Kolkata Knight Riders that he is glad that his team ended up on the right side of a close encounter for once.
CSK have had a tough IPL 2020 season which has included quite a few close losses. Thus, this victory over KKR will boost their morale, although they are out of contention for a place in the IPL 2020 playoffs.
Ravindra Jadeja once again proved in this game that he is a very handy all-rounder. He came in to bat in a tricky situation when CSK still needed 33 runs to win from 16 balls. He scored 31 runs off just 11 balls, including 2 fours and 3 sixes, and helped CSK beat KKR by six wickets in the last ball of the game. Dhoni credited Jadeja for his brilliant cameo and stated that he is the only one in the team who has scored consistently in the death overs.
"I think it was one game in which the climax went in our favour. Lot of credit to the guys. This season he (Jadeja) has been fantastic. He has been the only one in our team who has scored in the death overs. He needed somebody else and that would have been good for us," MS Dhoni said in the post-match presentation ceremony."
Ruturaj Gaikwad has shown the talent that he is: MS Dhoni
MS Dhoni had lots of praise for opener Ruturaj Gaikwad who, for the second time in a row, scored a half century that won the game for CSK. Chasing 173 runs to win, Gaikwad scored 72 runs off just 53 balls and laid a strong foundation for the other batsmen to capitalize on.
Dhoni has been very impressed with the kind of grit and determination that Gaikwad has shown, especially after coming back from a COVID infection. Although the youngster had a poor start to his IPL 2020 campaign, the CSK skipper is happy with the way he has grabbed his chances and believes that there is a bright future ahead of him.
"Ruturaj has shown the talent that he is. He came in and got positive with Covid. We didn't have much time to have a look at him. He is one of the talented youngsters going around," MS Dhoni said.
"When we made him play the first game, he stepped out and got out. But one ball is never enough. I think it is very exciting how he has grabbed his chances," he further added.
CSK will now play their final game against the Kings XI Punjab on 1st November at Abu Dhabi and will be looking to end their IPL 2020 campaign on a high.