[In Pictures] MS Dhoni's heartbroken reaction after CSK's elimination from IPL 2024 following loss vs RCB
MS Dhoni was visibly upset after the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) bowed out of IPL 2024 following a 27-run loss against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in their final league match on Saturday (May 18). The Men in Yellow would have qualified for the playoffs even if they lost the game by a margin of less than 18 runs.
RCB batted first and notched up 218/5 in a high-pressure contest, courtesy of a collective performance from the batting unit. CSK needed to score more than 200 to secure their place in the playoffs. They failed in the pursuit despite valiant efforts from the likes of Rachin Ravindra (61), Ravindra Jadeja (42*), Ajinkya Rahane (33), and MS Dhoni (25).
Dhoni, who is in the final stages of his playing career, was heartbroken after the defeat. You can watch his reaction to the loss in the posts below:
"It was a matter of one or two hits"- CSK captain Ruturaj Gaikwad after defeat against RCB in their final IPL 2024 league match
After the match, CSK skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad said the pitch was decent for batting, even though there was some grip and turn. He felt losing wickets at regular intervals dented their hopes in the chase.
"I think it was a good wicket to be honest. It was spinning and gripping a little bit but 200 was gettable on this ground. Just that we kept losing wickets at regular intervals. It was a matter of one or two hits and that can happen in a T20 game," Gaikwad said.
Reflecting on his team's performance in IPL 2024, Gaikwad continued:
"To sum up the season for us, pretty happy with 7 wins out of 14. Couldn't get over the line, but it can happen - we got 10 from the last two balls in the final last year. Pretty similar situation. Personal milestones really don't matter a lot to me. The ultimate goal is to win the ultimate prize. If you don't get there it's a lot of disappointment whether you score 100 or 200 runs or 500 or 600 runs."
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