Chennai Super Kings skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni opened up on his conversation with Ajinkya Rahane during the training session at Chepauk before the start of the 2023 Indian Premier League season. Rahane scored a blistering half-century against five-time champions Mumbai Indians in a highly anticipated clash on Saturday. Rahane hit a 19-ball fifty – the fastest of this season so far, ripping apart Mumbai Indian’s bowling attack in the 158-run chase.
Rahane scored 61 runs from 27 balls with seven fours and three sixes to set up the foundation of CSK’s clinical 7-wicket win over rivals MI.
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Dhoni shared the details of his conversation with Rahane ahead of the season.
“Me and Jinks spoke at the start of the season and I told him to play to his strengths, and use his ability to manipulate the fields. I told him to go and enjoy, don’t take stress and we’ll back you," Dhoni said in the post-match presentation.
“He batted well and he was not happy with the way he got out, that says it all," he added.
The CSK skipper admitted that the injury to Deepak Chahar in the first over did make things a bit complicated for him in terms of shuffling the bowlers.
“It feels good, we lost Deepak [Chahar] in our first over. [Sisanda] Magala it was the first game. Was a bit of an issue to shuffle the bowler. But the spinners bowled really well," he said.
Talking about the Wankhede surface, Dhoni suggested that it was a bit two-paced after the powerplay and his team’s spinners managed to use that well.
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“It was not turning much after the first six overs. It was a bit two-paced after that. The spinners were able to use that well later. Magala came back well, and Pretorius was so good. It was a good bowling effort, despite losing our premier bowler," he added.
Dhoni further talked highly on young Tushar Deshpande and said the delivery on his he got Rohit Sharma out was a jaffa.
“We believe in him. When you are new, you have a different sort of pressure. He had a very good domestic season, and we have been talking to him about his execution. He bowled a lot of no-balls, the last two matches but is improving, The delivery he got Rohit out, was a beauty," he said.
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