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IPL 2023: News - 'Milestones don't really matter for me' - MS Dhoni on his 200th match as CSK Captain

CSK captain MS Dhoni was critical of the CSK batters and said that they need to step up in the game as well.

By Shurti Banerjee | Apr 12, 2023 | 2 Min Read

Rajasthan Royals registered a win by 3 runs over Chennai Super Kings at MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on April 12. However, after the win, CSK captain MS Dhoni was critical of the CSK batters and said that they need to step up in the game as well.

However, Rajasthan Royals had set a target of 176 runs for CSK at the Chepauk where Jos Buttler scored a fifty and some late cameo from Shimron Hetmyer also helped as well. After losing Ruturaj Gaikwad early in the chase, Ajinkya Rahane and Devon Conway managed to rebuild the CSK innings in the IPL 2023.

But RR returned to the game strong and put the brakes on the run-scoring as well. Later, MS Dhoni and Ravindra Jadeja provided some fireworks in the end but their efforts went in vain as RR edged past and got the win to go top of the IPL points table as well.

However, while speaking after the match, as quoted by Cricbuzz, MS Dhoni said that CSK needed strike rotation during the middle overs and the ownership of the defeat must come from the CSK batters at the end of the day as well.

“I think in the middle overs we needed a bit more strike rotation, there wasn’t much for the spinners but they had experienced spinners and we could not rotate strike. It was not that difficult and the ownership (of the loss) should come from the batters. It was good that we could reach striking distance (of the target) as we were the last pair. It really affects NRR when you get to the last phase of the tournament. You see the field, see the bowler and what the bowler is trying to do, after that just stand still and wait for them to commit the mistake, if they bowl in good areas then good luck to them,” said MS Dhoni.

Meanwhile, the CSK skipper also said that he was happy with the performance of the bowlers on the day. When he was asked about reaching the milestone of 200 games as CSK captain, MS Dhoni said that milestones don’t really matter to him and it is all about the performance and the results of the game as well.

“I would wait for it and that is something which has worked for me, you need to back your strength and my strength is to hit straight. There was a bit of dew and once the ball went to the outfield it became easier for the batters. Overall, I was very happy with the bowlers. I really didn’t know it was my 200th and milestones don’t really matter for me, it is about how you’re performing and the results,” concluded MS Dhoni.