MS Dhoni, CSK, IPL 2020, Century
MS Dhoni (Credits: IPL/ Twitter)

MS Dhoni’s heroics went in vain as Chennai Super Kings lost a thriller to Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) by just one run on Sunday. The Super Kings skipper, who had missed the last game due to a back injury, hit the ground running when he walked out to bat. The defending champions were in all sort of trouble while chasing a modest 161 when Dhoni came out to bat. Super Kings had started disastrously and were reeling at 28 for 4 when Dhoni joined Ambati Rayudu in the middle.

The veteran batsman displayed his experience by calmly bailing the Super Kings out of trouble with a fifty-plus stand with Rayudu. However, the Royal Challengers struck back by removing Rayudu and Ravindra Jadeja in quick succession to reduce the visitors to 108 for 6. Dhoni then decided to take the onus on himself to take his side over the line. The equation was finally down to 26 from the last over.

And Dhoni started in stunning manner. Facing Umesh Yadav, he collected 24 runs from the first five balls  of the 20th over. With two runs needed to pull off a heist and one to tie the game, Dhoni missed the ball and Parthiv Patel then ran Shardul Thakur out from behind the stumps.

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Dhoni remained on unbeaten on 84 – his highest score in IPL. The innings came off just 48 deliveries and was studded with 5 fours and 7 sixes.

Following the game, the usually calm and composed Dhoni did not refrain from criticising his team’s top order for failing to deliver.

“It’s just that batting, once you go in and that’s the time you need to think as an individual what really is needed for the team as of now whether it’s a partnership needed or few big shots,” MS Dhoni said. “It’s easy to go and play the big shot and even if I get out others will do the job. The problem arises once you play a big shot and you can’t really get out because that puts a lot of pressure on the other batsmen. That’s something we need to calculate.

“That’s why I think the top three can never be finishers, they may do it a few times, but when you bat at 5, 6 or 7 whatever you are calculating you have to put a lot of thinking behind it because you lose one more wicket and the game is over at that point of time,” he added.

IPL 2019: MS Dhoni Criticises Top-Order After Close Defeat To RCB
Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni (Credits: IPL)

Super Kings have now lost 2 consecutive games for the first time since making their comeback last season. However, they are still at the top of the points table with seven wins from ten games.

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