Chennai Super Kings (CSK) head coach Stephen Fleming has showered rich praise on skipper MS Dhoni, terming him as the heartbeat of the franchise.
Dhoni made his 200th appearance for CSK when he took to the field against Punjab Kings (PBKS) at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Friday (April 16).
According to Fleming, the milestone of 200 matches shows Dhoni’s attitude towards the game and the franchise.
WATCH: MS Dhoni celebrates his 200th match for CSK with teammates and support staff
"His longevity has to be mentioned and appreciated... to play 200 games and still have a desire to do well is a testament to his attitude towards the game and franchise," Fleming said in the post-match virtual press conference after CSK’s 6-wicket victory over PBKS.
"I think the franchise has grown and MS has grown with it, so it is a great relationship and great fun," he added.
"He is the heartbeat of CSK, there's no doubt about it. Whether it's performance, guidance or leadership, you run out of things to say about him."
Opting to bowl first, CSK restricted PBKS to a paltry 106/8 in 20 overs on the back of seamer Deepak Chahar’s outstanding bowling performance (4-1-13-4).
Hailing Chahar’s effort, Fleming said: "Really impressed with the way he bounced back after the first game. Without a doubt, when Deepak gets a little bit of swing and a little bit of movement, he is one of the finest around. His ability to swing the ball is one. But his control and skill set is also very high.”
"The key is keeping him simple in his plans and just operating in and around the stumps. He is very effective when the ball swings. A great bounce back from a below-par performance in the first game."
Chasing the target, Super Kings got over the line with 26 balls to spare, courtesy Moeen Ali’s 31-ball 46 and Faf du Plessis’ unbeaten 36 off 33 deliveries.
The CSK coach backed Ruturaj Gaikwad (5 off 16 balls) to do well in the coming games despite the young opener’s failure in the second successive match.
"I am happy with the balance we have got in the team. Ruturaj (Gaikwad) is a fine player. He got a good ball in the first match and very difficult conditions today. It wasn't a 220-run wicket today. It was much different.
"Ruturaj was a player we showed faith in last year, and his talent came through. Our philosophy when we pick players and put them in the team is to back them. This combination (Ruturaj-Faf du Plessis) is simply that," he remarked.
Fleming said the playing XI would also depend on the conditions, which are not straightforward.
"Well, it was the best 11 when you put in a performance like this, then it's hard to argue. But yeah, we only have one. We have Lungi Ngidi who now becomes available, but he's only out in the next couple of days.
"So, we'll see how he comes out of quarantine, but the performance today from the 11 was very encouraging. And, and now it's a case of really assessing the conditions. I think everyone thought it was going to be high-scoring, but now there's a little bit more art to the team you pick in that, the tactics that you use," he stated.
(With PTI inputs)
