IPL 2023: 'Target was a bit above par', says CSK skipper MS Dhoni after defeat to RR

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) skipper MS Dhoni on Thursday felt that the target of 203 that was set by Rajasthan Royals (RR) was a ‘bit above par’, and that the Yellow Brigade gave ‘too many runs’ in the powerplay.

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Having opted to bat first, RR made full use of the first six overs, amassing 64 runs without losing a wicket. Opener Yashasvi Jaiswal was the standout performer with the bat for RR, scoring 77 off just 43 deliveries.

CSK bowlers found it tough to maintain the flow of boundaries.

“It (target) was quite a bit above par. The reason was the first six overs, gave too many runs, but at the same time the pitch was best to bat on at that time. Even when they were finishing the edges kept going for boundaries. They got par+ score and we were not able to stop the runs,” Dhoni said after the match.

Sri Lanka’s Matheesha Pathira went for 48 runs from four overs without taking a wicket, but Dhoni felt that Pathirana’s bowling was ‘very good’.

“I felt his (Pathirana) bowling was very good, not that he bowled badly. The scorecard doesn’t reflect how well he bowled,” added the CSK skipper.

RR ended a two-match winless run with a clinical victory, and skipper Sanju Samson said this was a much-needed win.

“Winning this game was needed for the team atmosphere and for the fans, also our first win in Jaipur,” said the cricketer from Kerala.

“Even when we batted, all the youngsters came in and did the job. The mindset of attacking is a nice change. Credit has to go to the management and the support staff for what players are doing, you see Jaiswal at the RR academy during the off-season playing a lot of balls,” added the 28-year-old.

Jaiswal, the Player of the Match, explained how talking to Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni regularly helped him.

“It is not about just this season, I have been putting in the effort with the team management and I keep speaking to senior players like Dhoni sir and Virat bhai. I enjoy pressure and want to be there when there is pressure. I was only thinking of keeping my strike rate high and I knew we need 200 to defend on this surface,” said the 21-year-old.

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