IPL 2021: CSK coach Fleming defends MS Dhoni's sluggish batting performance against DC

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) coach Stephen Fleming has defended skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s lacklustre batting performance in the team’s Indian Premier League (IPL) match against Delhi Capitals (DC) on Monday, saying that the CSK captain “wasn’t the only one who struggled”.

Speaking in a post-match conference, Fleming said that CSK’s three-wicket defeat to DC was due to “difficult conditions” for strokeplay, adding that both sides struggled to score big in the match.

The recent match saw Dhoni struggle with his batting, managing to score only 18 runs off 27 balls, before he was dismissed by DC bowler Avesh Khan. The 40-year-old batsman failed to score any boundaries or sixes during his innings, and CSK could only put up a total of 136 runs in their innings. It was Dhoni’s slowest ever innings in the tournament, with a strike rate of 66.66.

CSK looked comfortable at the end of the powerplay overs, with a score of 48/2, however, the team slowed down in the middle overs and failed to score a boundary for five overs. While Ambati Rayadu’s unbeaten 55 off 43 deliveries gave the team a fighting chance, Dhoni’s failure to score weighed heavily in favour of DC.

Fleming said that it wasn’t the lack of intent that led to the team’s low score.

“It was just we had to stabilise after a couple of mistakes and then we were reasonably well-placed for 150,” Fleming stated, adding that DC bowled very well in the last five overs.

According to Fleming, the two back-to-back defeats for CSK are a wake-up call for the team. The team is placed second in the IPL 2021 points table with 18 points and has qualified for the playoffs. Rishabh Pant-led DC has claimed the top spot with 20 points.