"If MS Dhoni hadn't gotten out to the back-of-the-hand ball, he would have won the game" - Aakash Chopra on CSK's IPL 2024 loss vs RCB
Aakash Chopra has opined that the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) might have reached the IPL 2024 playoffs had MS Dhoni not been dismissed off Yash Dayal's slower ball. The defending champions suffered a 27-run defeat against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in Bengaluru on Saturday (May 18) and were eliminated from the tournament.
RCB set CSK a 219-run target after being asked to bat first. The visitors, who needed 201 runs to qualify for the playoffs, managed 191/7 in reply and were pipped by their conquerors to the final playoff berth based on net run rate.
Reflecting on CSK's chase in a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra noted that Dhoni's dismissal proved decisive.
"MS Dhoni was there along with Ravindra Jadeja. Dhoni kept them alive. Maybe this was the last time we saw Dhoni. He hit the longest six of this season - 110 meters. He also hit two fours on the leg side. If MS Dhoni hadn't gotten out to the back-of-the-hand ball, he would have won the game (taken CSK to the playoffs)," he said (4:15).
"From where he started, it didn't seem like winning the game was possible. Not winning, you know I am talking about 201, winning the match was beyond them. Jadeja was hitting sixes off the first ball of every over. However, Yash Dayal bowled well in the last over. Only 17 runs were required. He saved them and RCB won with a decent margin and progressed," the former India opener added.
Dhoni joined Ravindra Jadeja in the middle when CSK needed 72 runs off 30 balls to qualify for the playoffs. The duo brought the equation down to 11 runs off five deliveries before Yash Dayal had the veteran wicketkeeper-batter caught at deep square leg with a back-of-the-hand slower one. The left-arm seamer then conceded only one run off the last four balls to take RCB to the playoffs.
"It seems like this game is going away from him" - Aakash Chopra on Ajinkya Rahane's knock for CSK
![Ajinkya Rahane scored 33 runs off 22 deliveries. [P/C: iplt20.com]](https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2024/05/50306-17160980500930-1920.jpg?w=500)
Reflecting on the start of CSK's innings, Aakash Chopra noted that while Ruturaj Gaikwad and Daryl Mitchell were dismissed early, Ajinkya Rahane couldn't press the accelerator.
"Maxi (Glenn Maxwell) came and Rutu (Ruturaj Gaikwad) was out off the first ball. Then Daryl Mitchell came and he too got out after some time. Rachin Ravindra was playing with Ajinkya Rahane. Rachin Ravindra was timing the ball. Rahane was there for some time but it seems like this game is going away from him because he is unable to accelerate like that," he said (3:35).
The cricketer-turned-commentator added that Shivam Dube has struggled after bagging successive golden ducks.
"Then he got out and Shivam Dube's bat wasn't hitting the ball at all. Since he has gotten out for two consecutive zeroes, he has got no form whatsoever. He scored seven runs off 15 balls. Then Mitchell Santner, that much might wasn't there in the batting," Chopra observed.
Chopra also claimed that the five-time champions' bowling was extremely ordinary. He was particularly disappointed with Ravindra Jadeja for conceding 40 runs in three overs on a turner.