IPL 2018: Mahendra Singh Dhoni Lavishes Praise on Rayudu and Watson

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) led by Mahendra Singh Dhoni is back to their winning ways after a comprehensive performance against the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at the Maharastra Cricket Association (MCA) Stadium in Pune on Saturday (May 13) evening.

It was a sensational century by the man in spectacular form Ambati Rayudu as Chennai made light work of the target of 180. Watson also gave him great support and scored a fluent half-century.

Earlier in the day, it was a great knock from Shikhar Dhawan and skipper Kane Williamson respectively which propelled Hyderabad to a fighting total of 179 runs on the board.

Dhoni won the toss and asked Hyderabad to bat. After the loss of Alex Hales, it was a great partnership yet again by Dhawan and Williamson.

Dhawan, in particular, was at his fluent best and smashed the Chennai bowlers all around the park. The spell of Deepak Chahar was quite sensational who made his return after injury layoff. He was swinging the ball both ways and troubled Dhawan and Williamson in particular.

From there on, it was Dhawan and Williamson, who played some wonderful shots which eventually helped Hyderabad post 179 in 20 overs.

Dhawan scored 79 which included 10 fours and three sixes whereas, Williamson scored 52. However, both were dismissed at the same score which pegged back Hyderabad. Some tight bowling from Chennai prevented Hyderabad to touch 200-run mark.

Also Read: IPL 2018: I Was Ready to Open the Innings, Says Centurion Ambati Rayudu

Chennai started on a brilliant note and it never really stopped. Both Rayudu and Watson were at their flamboyant best. Watson started off the carnage with some delightful shots. Rayudu was a bit slow, to begin with.

However, he gained momentum as the innings progressed. The duo shared a sensational partnership of 134 runs which nearly sealed the game for Chennai.

Rayudu smashed seven fours and as many sixes during his brilliant knock of 100 which came in just 62 deliveries.

Suresh Raina was dismissed early. However, Rayudu and skipper Dhoni ensured Chennai reached the target without any further hiccups. The victory also means that Chennai has more or else booked their place in the playoffs.

Here is what Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the winning skipper said at the post-match presentation:

“I thought the ball will swing more in the second half than what it did for us. The swing was not there, that was a surprise. We got off to a good start. Watson and Rayudu hit boundaries whenever there was an opportunity. Otherwise, 180 against SRH would have been a tough chase. Even before IPL started I had to make space for Rayudu, because he is somebody I rate very highly. He can play both the fast bowlers and spinners very well. Most teams look to exploit the opener with spin bowling,” Dhoni said during the presentation.

“He [Ambati] is someone who doesn’t look like a big hitter but almost clears the field every time he plays the big shot. My plan was to make Rayudu open and if Kedar was fit, he will bat at 4 or 5. We keep the number of overs remaining as the mark and we decide the No. 4 batsman based on that. Unfortunately, we played one game in Chennai, but the response we got from Pune was very good. The fans watch the game despite the stadium being quite far,” Dhoni added.