Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the captain of the Chennai Super Kings, said on Monday that it’s difficult to “catch up” with the younger players in the team, but that it’ll be a “huge plus” for the 39-year-old if they can’t point fingers at him over his fitness. Dhoni, who retired from international cricket last year at the age of 39, acknowledged that “getting old and being fit are two tough things.” “When you’re playing, you don’t want someone to tell you that you’re unfit. I have to keep up with the younger guys because they are really fast, and it’s fun to put them to the test “After CSK beat Rajasthan Royals by 45 runs in their IPL match, Dhoni said.
“It’s a given that there will be performances. When I was 24, I couldn’t promise results. I couldn’t promise anything until I’m 40, so it’ll be a major plus if no one will point the finger at me and say he’s unfit.”
He said he was happy CSK scored 180 or more in the match, but he felt they should have scored more.
“Sam bowled exceptionally well, in my opinion. Deepak, the knuckle delivery was a bit of a miscalculation. As a result, I thought it was important to get off to a strong start. The wet ball was spinning as well.”
“I’m not opposed to Jos playing reverse sweep. If the wet ball was spinning, there’s a good possibility the dry ball would as well.”
Since the wicket was turning a bit and getting more sticky, Dhoni said it was lucky to have Moeen Ali, who took three wickets for seven runs in three overs.
“In another game, the first six balls I played may have cost us.”
He mentioned that a lot has changed since they finished seventh out of eight teams last year.
“The manner in which we have prepared. The bowlers were also put under pressure last year, so they’re used to it.”
Sanju Samson, who was replaced as captain, thought the total was a decent one to chase, but his side lost too many wickets in the middle overs.
“Our bowlers bowled exceptionally well, but our batsmen batted too deep.” We gave an additional 10-15 runs down the line. We lost the game, but there are a lot of things to take away from it.
“The dew didn’t fall and the ball continued to spin, so it was a little surprising to see.”
“It’s critical to keep your cool; this format requires us to score at a higher risk pace, so getting out frequently is natural. I’m also working on the fundamentals and making time for myself at the core.”