Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the captain of the Chennai Super Kings, expressed his disappointment following their four-wicket loss to the Punjab Kings on their home ground. Dhoni believed that the bowlers needed to be more mindful of the game situation and suggested that the execution of their plans was likely “poor”. Despite posting a formidable total of 200 for four at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, courtesy of an outstanding unbeaten knock of 92 by Devon Conway, CSK had a promising opportunity to secure victory. However, the Shikhar Dhawan-led Punjab Kings managed to chase down the target on the final ball, leaving the yellow brigade silenced.
Dhoni remarked, “We lost control during a few overs in the middle. It is crucial to understand what deliveries to bowl and have clarity, especially when the batters are aiming for big hits. Matheesha Pathirana bowled well, but apart from that, we need to assess whether our plans were flawed or if our execution was subpar.”
With the exception of openers Conway and Ruturaj Gaikwad, who contributed 37 runs, the rest of the batting lineup failed to leave a significant impact. Dhoni believed that his team could have added another 10 runs to their total.
“We should have performed better with the bat. The pitch offered some turn, especially when it hit the seam. The slower deliveries were effective. I think a score of 200 runs was par for the course. Additionally, towards the end of our innings, could we have managed to accumulate 10 more runs?” Dhoni questioned.
