IPL 2022: MS Dhoni on win against DC, says would have been better if it had come earlier

While Skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni was happy with Chennai Super Kings' (CSK) comprehensive 91-run win against Delhi Capitals (DC) here at the Dr DY Patil Stadium on Sunday, he felt that it would have been better if had it come earlier in the tournament.

"The big-margin win helps, would have been better if it had come earlier. But this was a perfect game. The batters did well," said MS Dhoni after victory.

After losing the toss and being put in to bat things did not go as per plan for the defending champions but they still managed to score 208/6 in 20 overs and bowl out the opposition for 117 in 17.4 overs.

"I wanted to win the toss and field first but this was a game where you'd want to lose the toss," said Dhoni.The four-time champions scored 200 plus for the fourth time in the season, but it was not as easy according to the skipper. Dhoni also praised openers Devon Conway and Ruturaj Gaikwad who scored 110 runs for the opening wicket.

"The ball stops and comes and behaves only after 13-14 overs. The way the openers batted, runs on the board helped. And we had to make sure the opposition's big hitters did not get going," explained Dhoni.CSK's opening pacers Mukesh Choudhary and Simarjeet Singh bowled magnificently picking up two wickets each. Simarjeet gave the yellow army the breakthrough by dismissing Delhi Capitals opener Srikar Bharat for 8."Simarjeet and Mukesh have taken time to mature, each player takes his own time. Game sense is crucial, finding out what to and what not to bowl. The latter is more important in T20s," explained Dhoni.

Skipper Dhoni himself walked in to bat in the 18th over of the match. He attacked right from the word go and scored an unbeaten 21 off 8 balls to take his team to 208/6 in 20 overs. But despite his blistering knock where he scored runs at a strike rate of 262.50 the CSK skipper was not completely satisfied with his performance.

"The first ball is to see what was happening. When you go in the 13th-14th over, you can tap for one. But with 12 balls to go, you have to go big from ball one. We haven't done well to go, getting 4 off 2 is not good," said MS Dhoni.

The four-time champions are at the eighth spot on the points table with four wins in 11 matches facing seven defeats, and it will be an uphill task for them to make it to the play-offs.

"We will look to take one game at a time. I am not good at maths, not even at school. Enjoying the game in hand is the best. See the combinations that work and plan for the next year if qualification is possible is the key," said MS Dhoni.

After a thumping win against Delhi Capitals, MS Dhoni-led CSK will take on five-time champions Mumbai Indians on Thursday at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.

(ANI)

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