Chennai Super Kings (CSK) suffered their first defeat of the IPL 2024 season on Sunday (March 31) as they went down against Delhi Capitals (DC) by 20 runs in Visakhapatnam.
The margin of defeat would have been bigger had it not been for MS Dhoni's unbeaten 37 off 16 balls. His cameo while batting at No. 8 included 4 fours and 3 sixes.
The result may not have gone in CSK’s favour, but head coach Stephen Fleming heaped praise on Dhoni’s batting prowess against DC.
The 42-year-old, who retired from international cricket in August 2020, had undergone a knee surgery after leading CSK to the IPL title last year.
"It was beautiful wasn't it? He has been playing incredibly well pre-season. He is coming back from quite a serious injury. His batting has been superb. It gave us a positive vibe towards the end of a tough day.
"To get within 20 (runs of the target) run rate wise is important and he knows that. The way he played was spectacular," said Fleming at the post-match press conference.
Reacting to CSK’s first loss of the season, Fleming added: "The result today is a fair reflection of the team's play tonight. We were a little bit off tonight, we were slow at start in the first six overs of each innings. We gave away too many runs in the first six when we bowled.
"When we batted, they were very good, created pressure and used the conditions very well. The little cameos from David Warner and Rishabh Pant pushed them to a very good score."
Coming to the match, DC posted 191/5 on the board after winning the toss and opting to bat first. David Warner (52 off 35) and Rishabh Pant (51 off 32) scored half-centuries while Prithvi Shaw played a crucial knock of 43 in 27 balls.
Defending the total, the Capitals restricted CSK to 171/6. Mukesh Kumar was the pick of the DC bowlers, taking three wickets by conceding 21 runs in his three overs. Khaleel Ahmed (2/21 in four overs) and Akshar Patel (1/20 in three overs) also returned with impressive bowling figures.
Speaking after the game, Khaleel said he was keen to perform well for a long time.
"I was waiting for a long time to perform for the team. When I started, I realised I was getting good swing, so I just backed it up and didn't allow the opposition any chance," Khaleel stated.
"The more you play, the more you understand your game. The same happened with me as I have been playing continuously for six months, I got to understand my game plans, my body and managing to play in small niggles.
"It all came due to the domestic season, it gave me good confidence before coming into the IPL and it's been a great feeling."
(With PTI Inputs)
