MUMBAI: After registering a thrilling 18-run win against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) here at the Wankhede Stadium, Chennai Super Kings coach Stephen Fleming said that winning three matches out of four has exceeded their own expectations as well.
At one stage, KKR was left reeling at 31/5 but Andre Russell and Pat Cummins played knocks of 54 and 66 to keep Eoin Morgan’s side in the hunt, but CSK managed to hold their nerve to register a thrilling victory. No one from KKR’s top-order managed to stay at the crease for a long time as Deepak Chahar scalped four wickets. In the end, the target proved too much for Morgan’s side to chase.
“We learnt about ourselves from Abu Dhabi and Dubai last year. It is very hard when you are conditioned to play one style and then to do 180, that was a challenge we had last year. But by the time, the tournament ended last year, we learnt a lot of things. A big focus on making sure that we assess the conditions here. We have done that really well. Three wins out of four has probably exceeded expectations, we thought three out of five would be good, but we are really proud, especially with our batting,” said Fleming during a virtual press conference.
Earlier, CSK hammered KKR bowlers all around the park to register a score of 220/3 in the allotted twenty overs. Faf du Plessis remained unbeaten on 95 while Ruturaj Gaikwad scored 64 runs off just 42 balls. Skipper MS Dhoni also scored 17 runs off eight balls while Jadeja dispatched his first and only ball of the innings for a six.
“We rate Ruturaj very highly. I know there is pressure from outside but from within the camp, there was no doubt of what he is capable of. Naturally, you want the player to get into the tournament. He is such a stylish player, he trains well and he has got talent oozing out of him. There was not any pressure there, but this performance will do him a world of good,” said Fleming.
When asked about Shardul Thakur‘s performance, Fleming said: “This game can be a little bit brutal, he was pretty good, he took over the role of bowling at the death overs.”
On Wednesday, MS Dhoni’s parents had tested positive for Covid-19. Talking about this entire situation, Fleming said: “Not a lot of talk between players. But from management’s point of view, we are well aware of his family’s situation. The support has been set up for MS and his family, talking with MS, the situation is under control for now. We will monitor for the next few days, it is a tough time for everybody and the fact that it is affecting India the way it is. I hope his family recovers quickly.” (ANI)
