With Delhi crowd set to root for former India Captain, CSK
look to seal playoff spot todayNEW DELHI: The MS Dhoni fever has reached Delhi and it is certainly going to raise the temperature in the peak-summer afternoon match against Delhi Capitals on Saturday.
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Dhoni’s campaign with Chennai Super Kings (CSK) across the country this IPL has an uncanny resemblance with Sachin Tendulkar’s last World Cup campaign in 2011. Going into the last league match at second place in the points table, Dhoni’s team still doesn’t have a confirmed place in the playoffs.
As much as this is about CSK making amends for finishing at the bottom of the table last year, it’s also about Dhoni getting a chance to go back to the Chepauk to play one more time in a city that has defined his cult status.
“We haven’t spoken about it at all, to be honest. Doing it for MS? Is this going to be his last season? We don’t know. He hasn’t shared anything about that with the team,” CSK batting coach Michael Hussey said on Friday.
Dhoni’s lap of honour after CSK’s last league game at Chepauk and the euphoria around his presence at every stadium across the country tell a different story.
The Ferozeshah Kotla isn’t going to be any different on Saturday. The match was declared housefull the moment tickets went online. Capitals have been the first team to be knocked out of this tournament, but their assistant coach Shane Watson doesn’t mind playing party-spoilers. But he too will know his team will find it tough riding the Dhoni wave at their home ground.
The reception CSK have received through Dhoni has liberated them to script a formidable turnaround from a forgettable last season.
“The support we’ve got as a team, and MS is obviously a massive part of that being the legend of Indian cricket, is incredible. Every ground that we’ve gone to, it’s blown us away. The team has just embraced it. It’s not every day that you have the opportunity to play in such an atmosphere. In a way it does raise your game. You can feel that energy in the ground and it lifts your performances,” Hussey said.
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DC vs CSK IPL 2023: Chennai take on Delhi with an aim at play-off spot
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<p>A determined Chennai Super Kings (CSK) unit wouldn’t mind being masters of its own fate in its bid to steamroll the already ousted Delhi Capitals (DC), who are looking to end a forgettable IPL campaign on a high in a final league game in Delhi on Saturday.<br /></p>
<p>At the moment, CSK are second on the points table with 15 points from 13 games. But a loss against DC along with a string of unfavourable results could see the four-time champions miss out on the last leg of IPL action.<br /></p>
<p>A win would, however, confirm a play-off spot but whether they finish in second place or third would depend on the Lucknow Super Giants’ result against Kolkata Knight Riders later in the day. CSK have a better net run rate of +0.381 than LSG’s +0.304, who are also on 15 points.<br /></p>
<p>The slow nature of Feroz Shah Kotla track will suit CSK’s game-plan and Mahendra Singh Dhoni, in all likelihood playing his last competitive game in the National Capital will like to make full use of the conditions against an out-of-sorts team.<br /></p>
<p>Batting has been CSK’s strong suit. Devon Conway, Ruturaj Gaikwad and Ajinkya Rahane have provided solid starts but CSK need the likes of Ambati Rayudu, Ravindra Jadeja and Moeen Ali to complement Shivam Dube better in the middle overs.<br /></p>
<p>Dhoni has managed some cameos in the fag end of the innings and the skipper is expected to continue doing so despite calls of him coming up the order.<br /><br /><br /></p>
<p>On the bowling front, Tushar Deshpande has been expensive but he gets breakthroughs while young pacer Matheesha Pathirana has been doing a good job. The spin trio of Jadeja, Moeen and Maheesh Theekshana have also been effective in stemming the flow of runs.<br /></p>
<p>But standing in CSK’s way is an unpredictable Delhi side. After a miserable first half, where they lost five games on the trot, the Capitals did manage to pick up some momentum, winning five out of their next eight games but it came too late in the competition.<br /></p>
<p>Come Saturday, David Warner and Co. would like to play the proverbial party-poopers once again by ending their IPL season with a win at home. But Delhi hasn’t fared well at home, with skipper Warner conceding their batting unit has struggled to figure out what the best total is at the Feroz Shah Kotla this season.<br /></p>
<p>Apart from a few cameos by Axar Patel, Delhi’s Indian batting line-up has failed miserably this season. Prithvi Shaw has perhaps been the biggest letdown along with veteran Manish Pandey, who is into his 16th IPL season.<br /></p>
<p>Warner has mostly carried the Delhi batting with the likes of Mitchell Marsh, Phil Salt and Rilee Rossouw showcasing their batting prowess in some games.<br /><br /><br /></p>
<p>The bowling unit has eked out most of Delhi’s wins with the spin duo of Axar and Kuldeep Yadav doing a remarkable job.<br /></p>
<p>Old warhorse Ishant Sharma has been invaluable, handing the ball in crunch situations, the veteran pacer kept his calm won the matches against Gujarat Titans and Punjab. However he hasn’t provided too many breakthroughs despite being accurate on most occasions.<br /></p>
<p>After leaking runs in the initial games, Anrich Nortje has also found his groove while Khaleel Ahmed has also been impactful on occasions and profligate at other times.<br /></p>
Dhoni and the CSK model is a reference point in running an IPL team. Watson has seen it from close quarters when he was part of a CSK team that once bounced back to win a title from a very difficult position.
“What stood out for me was the consistent leadership, with MS and Stephen Fleming and just the calmness they have throughout the franchise,” Watson said.
Watch IPL 2023: CSK look to seal playoffs spot in Delhi
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