Chennai: Having won the Southern Derby away from home against Royal Challengers Bangalore, Chennai Super Kings returned to their home at Chepauk and went on to beat Sunrisers Hyderabad, in their next IPL match by seven wickets on Friday. Led by their inspirational captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, CSK returned to winning ways as they lost to Rajasthan Royals in a high-scoring last-over thriller in their last league game played on home soil.
SRH have never been able to beat CSK at Chepauk in IPL, and the Super Kings kept their record intact. Expectedly, a sea of yellow filled the stadium as the Yellow Army faced its Orange counterpart, led by South African Aiden Markram. ‘Thala’ Dhoni was once again the cynosure of all eyes as CSK arrived at their Anbuden. Hailing the bond between Chennai Super Kings fans and MS Dhoni, former India cricketer Harbhajan Singh – who has donned the CSK yellow jersey in the past – claimed the wicketkeeper-batter has accepted all the adulation from the fans with the utmost respect.
Speaking on Star Sports Cricket Live show, Harbhajan Singh said, ‘Mahendra Singh Dhoni is only one. There cannot be a bigger cricketer than him in India. Someone could have scored more runs than him and someone could have taken more wickets than him, but no one has a bigger fanbase than him. Dhoni has accepted this fandom to heart and he respects his teammates as well. He walks with so much love and emotion that anyone else would go mad, but Dhoni has carried this love and emotion in his heart for 15 years and he still hasn’t changed at all’. In CSK’s previous win all-rounder, Shivam Dube had set the stage on fire with his towering sixes against RCB at M Chinnaswamy.
Lauding the left-handed batter for his range of shots, former India cricketer Harbhajan Singh said the Mumbaikar should continue getting the chance to bat higher in the order more often. ‘Shivam Dube’s hitting range is tremendous. Whenever the ball comes into his hitting arc, he dispatches it for a biggie. CSK banks a lot on players with such qualities. Shivam should continue to get opportunities to bat at the top’, Harbhajan Singh said.
Delhi Capitals secured their first win of the season after losing five on the trot. Australian opener David Warner led his team (DC) from the front as they beat KKR by four wickets in yet another humdinger in IPL. Former England cricketer Kevin Pietersen congratulated Warner and his team for breaking the winless streak. However, the legendary English cricketer is critical of Delhi’s performance as their batting still remains a concern.
Speaking on Star Sports Cricket Live, Kevin Pietersen said, ‘Games like these give you the confidence. There was a sense of relief in the camp. We’ve seen Mumbai Indians do a couple of times in the past. They were unstoppable after coming on the winning track. Could it be the same for Delhi? We’ll have to wait and see. Warner led from the front with his captaincy and batting. He was, unfortunately, let down by the team. Batting still remains a weak link for them’.
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