Bengaluru: Chennai Super Kings (CSK) skipper M S Dhoni revealed that he keeps assessing the situation from behind the wicket and is involved in what needs to be done rather than thinking about the result, which helped him control the IPL 2023 game against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) despite Glenn Maxwell and Faf du Plessis going all guns blazing.
Devon Conway slammed 83 off 45 deliveries while Shivam Dube blazed away to a 27-ball 52 as CSK posted an imposing 226/6 after being asked to bat first at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Monday night. In reply, RCB skipper du Plessis (62 off 33 balls) and Maxwell (76 off 36) gave a scare to CSK, sharing 126 runs for the third wicket to raise hopes of a famous win.
However, the CSK bowlers held their nerve and survived the onslaught to emerge winners.
"When you come to Bangalore, you know it's a good wicket. Early part of the IPL you get a lot of dew. You want to start well and then alter whatever is there in your mind. It was slightly tacky to start off. It's important to go through that and then look to accelerate. We kept it simple and tried to get as much as possible in the second half of the game," said Dhoni after the game.
"Whenever you score 220, the batsmen need to keep on hitting. If Faf and Maxi had continued, they would have won it by the 18th over. I keep assessing from behind the wicket, I am always involved in what needs to be done rather than thinking about the result," he added.
Dhoni also praised Dube for his brisk innings, saying that the left-hander is a clean hitter against the spinners.
"He is someone who can hit very cleanly. He has an issue with the fast bowlers, but he's a clean hitter against the spinners. We had certain plans for him but once he arrived for our camp, he was injured. So we couldn't do a lot of work.
"We feel that he's somebody who can deliver and who can get those extra runs in the middle overs. He needs to believe in that more than us. We know he has the talent, but once you cross the boundary ropes into the field you are on your own," he added.
The 41-year old mentioned that death bowling is a difficult task for the youngsters, especially with the dew around.
"It (death bowling) is a difficult one for the youngsters, especially at this time of the year with the dew around. But they are working hard. (Bowling coach Dwayne) Bravo is one of the specialists. Under him, the bowlers will gain confidence. It's a team game. The coach, the bowling coach and the senior players guide them," added Dhoni.