Dhoni says CSK not doing well both in batting and bowling

Dubai, September 26

Chennai Super Kings captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni is not happy with the performance of both his batting and bowling units after his side suffered their second consecutive loss in the Indian Premier League.

After CSK’s 44-run defeat at the hands of Delhi Capitals here on Friday, Dhoni said his batting unit was lacking “a bit of steam” while the spinners were “yet to come to the party”.

It was CSK’s third match and second defeat after beating defending champions Mumbai Indians in the tournament opener.

“I don’t think it was a good game for us. There was no dew, but the wicket did slow down. We are lacking a bit of steam in the batting and that hurts. The run rate keeps on mounting after such slow starts and adds pressure, we need to figure that out,” Dhoni said after the match against DC.

“We need to come back with a clearer picture, looking at the combination. Maybe, the team balance will get better once Rayudu comes back in the next game.”                

Dhoni was referring to Ambati Rayudu who struck a brilliant 48-ball 71 in CSK’s five-wicket win over MI in the tournament opener before suffering a hamstring injury.

The CSK captain expressed hope that Rayudu will be available in their next game, which according to him will provide the much-needed balance to the side.

“That will give us the room to experiment with an extra bowler perhaps. There are quite a few things we can think about. We are one batter extra to start off, so the players need to step up.”      

Dhoni also asked his bowlers to pull up their socks after two ordinary outings.

“We need to get better with our lengths, lines and pace. I think the spinners have not come to the party yet. We are bowling good deliveries, but we are giving away the boundary deliveries bit too often,” he said.

Barring some fielding lapses, Delhi Capitals captain Shreyas Iyer is happy with the performance of his side so far.

“I am really happy with the performance. I would give them the benefit of doubt, is tough to catch in these conditions. You misjudge the ball, really don’t know how to pace yourself,” he said.

“In the team meeting we decided that we are going to assess the batting conditions early and then play accordingly. The way the openers started gave us a lot of confidence and the finish was good too. I am lucky to have KG (Kagiso Rabada) and Nortje in the team. It’s important to stick together as a team and we need to enjoy each other’s success.” PTI