CSK skipper MS Dhoni silences doubts, proves bat legality with umpire’s gauge vs RCB
New Delhi: During Saturday’s Chennai Super Kings versus Royal Challengers Bangalore IPL match in Bengaluru, MS Dhoni unexpectedly took the bat gauge from the umpire and personally checked his bat’s legality.
During Chennai Super Kings’ (CSK) second-innings chase of 214, MS Dhoni’s bat was inspected for legality in the 17th over after replacing Dewald Brevis. Initial inspection by the umpires suggested the bat was illegal, but Dhoni subsequently adjusted it. Despite not meeting the standards perfectly, the umpire ultimately allowed him to continue batting.
MS Dhoni’s late six in the final over proved insufficient as Chennai Super Kings fell short of their target by one run, needing 13 runs from the last three balls. Dhoni, who scored 12 runs from 8 balls, accepted responsibility for the team’s defeat, acknowledging he could have performed better in his final deliveries.
“When I went into bat, with the kind of deliveries and the runs needed, I felt I should’ve converted a couple more shots to ease the pressure,” Dhoni said in the post-match presentation, as quoted by Cricbuzz. “I take the blame. They got off to a good start, in between we pulled it back, but Romario Shepherd was brilliant. Whatever the bowlers bowled, he was able to get maximum runs,” he added.
He urged his bowlers to improve their yorker delivery and accuracy.
“We need to practice more yorkers,” Dhoni said. “More often than not, when the batters start to connect, you have to rely on yorkers. Also the margin of error (yorkers provide) – so if you’re looking for a perfect yorker, if that doesn’t happen, a low full toss is the next best thing. It’s one of the most difficult balls to hit,” the skipper added.
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