"I decided I would not let him score even a single boundary" - Chetan Sakariya on experience of bowling to MS Dhoni during IPL 2023
Chetan Sakariya was among the many bowlers during the IPL 2023 season who got an opportunity to bowl to legendary Chennai Super Kings (CSK) skipper MS Dhoni at the back end of the innings.
Wherever Dhoni travelled this season, fans swarmed the stadium in yellow jerseys; it never looked like the Super Kings were playing an away game. There was a similar atmosphere when the Delhi Capitals (DC) hosted CSK at the Arun Jaitley Stadium for their final league game.
Speaking exclusively to Sportskeeda, Chetan Sakariya opened up on how the home crowd cheering for MS Dhoni motivated him to ensure he didn't bowl loose deliveries at the death.
"When Mahi bhai was batting, the entire crowd turned yellow and that motivated me to do well," Sakariya said. "I decided I would not let him score even a single boundary off my bowling. I tried all the variations I could and ensured I wasn't hit for a boundary by him. The kind of support Mahi bhai get everywhere he goes is a testament to his aura and what he has achieved."
I thrive bowling on slow wickets: Chetan Sakariya
Chetan Sakariya had burst onto the domestic scene as an out-and-out swing bowler. However, his quick learning abilities have helped him add some crucial variations to his game.
Sakariya spoke about how Mohit Sharma inspired him with his slower deliveries back when he was a regular in the Indian setup.
"I think I thrive bowling on slow wickets," he said. "We had seven games in Delhi and also games in Chennai and Lucknow with slow pitches. When I was new, I just had swing. But I remember I worked on my variations by looking at Mohit bhai (Mohit Sharma) who had done well for CSK. I also learned a lot about cutters from Jaydev bhai. I feel I learn quickly and grasp well from what senior players tell me."
Chetan Sakariya also shed light on the importance of him adding more pace to his stock deliveries.
"I would like to add more skills to my bowling and I want to be atleast 5 kmph quicker," he added. "I want to ensure that I don't lose control while doing these changes and I am motivated to ensure I achieve these goals soon."
Sakariya will be keen to get back to domestic cricket and once again pile up some impressive performances to get back into the national reckoning.