Chennai Super Kings (CSK) head coach Stephen Fleming has addressed the burning question on every fan's mind: why did MS Dhoni, known for his legendary finishing abilities, come in at No.9 in one match and No. 7 against Rajasthan Royals? According to Fleming, it’s a matter of age and fitness for the 43-year-old former India captain.
Yeah, it’s a time thing. MS judges it. His body, his knees aren’t what they used to be. He’s moving okay, but there’s still an attrition aspect to it. He can’t bat 10 overs running full stick, so he gauges on the day what he can give us. If the game’s in the balance like today, he will go a little bit earlier and he backs other players when opportunities arise.
Power-Play Woes and Fielding Lapses
Fleming also pointed to the lacklustre power-play performance and poor fielding as key factors in CSK’s defeat.
If you analyse the game, it’s probably the two power-plays. Our power-play with the ball went for the best part of 80 runs, and we were only able to manage the mid-40s or early-40s (42/1). That’s a massive difference. Also, we were sloppy in the field compared to Rajasthan, who were outstanding.
Rajasthan Royals built a strong platform with Nitish Rana’s explosive 81 off 43 balls and captain Riyan Parag’s 37 off 28. Despite CSK bowlers Khaleel Ahmed (2-38), Noor Ahmad (2-28), and Matheesha Pathirana (2-28) pulling things back, Rajasthan still managed a competitive 182/9.
Gaikwad Reflects on Missed Opportunities
Chasing 183, CSK lost early wickets, with Rachin Ravindra falling for a duck and Rahul Tripathi managing 23. Captain Ruturaj Gaikwad led from the front with a 44-ball 63, supported by Ravindra Jadeja’s unbeaten 32. However, the middle order failed to provide enough support, and the five-time champions fell short, ending on 176/6.
We gave away 8-10 runs in misfields. That’s something we are looking to improve. But I was happy towards the end. After their power-play, they were looking at 220-230, so pulling it back to 182 was a positive.
He also addressed his decision to drop to No.3 in the batting order, explaining that the team is still adjusting to the new combinations.
Over the years, we had Ajinkya (Rahane) and Rayudu handling the middle order. With Rahul playing an aggressive role, I came down to No.3. I’m still getting to bat in the first or second over, so not much has changed. We just need to get better starts.
Fleming on CSK’s Struggles with Big Chases
CSK’s struggles while chasing 180-plus totals since 2019 were also brought up. Fleming acknowledged the issue but expressed confidence in the team's growth.
We just have to keep working hard. Each year is different, and this is a new group. It’s a start of a three-year cycle, and we are still figuring out our combinations. We’re pushing hard to find form, but we are making mistakes doing that.
Parag Credits Bowlers for RR's Win
On the winning side, Rajasthan Royals captain Riyan Parag praised his bowlers for defending the total despite believing they were short of runs.
We think we were 20 short. We lost a couple of wickets quickly, but the bowlers stepped up. Fielding also made a difference. We are working a lot with Dishant Yagnik, our fielding coach, and it is paying off.
Brief Scores:
Rajasthan Royals 182/9 in 20 overs (Nitish Rana 81, Riyan Parag 37; Noor Ahmad 2-28, Matheesha Pathirana 2-28, Khaleel Ahmed 2-38) beat Chennai Super Kings 176/6 in 20 overs (Ruturaj Gaikwad 63, Ravindra Jadeja 32 not out; Wanindu Hasaranga 4-35) by six runs.
