Chennai: Former Australian pacer Brett Lee praised Indian medium-pacer Sandeep Sharma for holding his nerve and bowling the decisive last three deliveries beautifully against a rampaging M S Dhoni and leading Rajasthan Royals to a thrilling win over Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in an IPL 2023 match, here on Wednesday.
CSK's tried-and-tested strategy of leaving it late did not yield the desired results as they lost to Royals by three runs at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Wednesday night. This was CSK's only second loss to RR at home in eight games.
Chasing a tricky 176 for victory, CSK finished on 172/6 with skipper Dhoni staying unbeaten on a 17-ball 32. Dhoni, who was leading CSK for the 200th time in the IPL, hit three sixes and a boundary, while Ravindra Jadeja, the other unbeaten batter, scored a 15-ball 25.
Bowling the last over with 20 runs to defend, the vastly experienced Sandeep held his nerve to restrict the Yellow Brigade, despite Dhoni's twins sixes in the over.
Royals' third win in four games took them to the top of the points table. CSK, on the other hand, lie in fifth place with two wins and an equal number of losses.
"I like what he said in his post-match interview about how bowling over the wicket wasn't working, so he came around the wicket. But you're right. It's right within his arc, that sweet spot, and if he missed it by an inch, it would have gone for six. Full credit to Sandeep Sharma, bowling with a wet ball to M S Dhoni who is on fire, they've got the whole crowd against them. He closed out the game under pressure and that is absolutely hats off to him to win by three runs," said JioCinema IPL expert Brett Lee in praise of Sandeep.
Apart from Lee, former Indian pacer R P Singh was also impressed by Sharma's final-over execution, especially after the poor start he got off to in it.
"It started with two wides and then a dot ball, and then we got to see two sixes as well. When the sixes were hit, pressure was bound to catch up. At that time, you had to back yourself.
"We have heard the same thing from Dhoni that he will capitalise on every mistake a bowler makes and punish him with a six. He always puts that pressure on the bowler, so imagine the mental state Sandeep Sharma was in. He knew that this batter will hit sixes if I make even the smallest mistake. Executing it the way he did is something that should be recognised," said Singh.
