IPL 2020: ‘Leave the mathematical part of it,’ MS Dhoni says CSK do not have a shot at playoffs

IPL 2020: Despite an eight wicket-win over Royal Challengers Bangalore in Dubai on Sunday MS Dhoni is convinced that Chennai Super Kings won’t make it to the playoffs.

Some may believe that Chennai Super Kings still have an outside chance of still making it to the IPL 2020 playoffs, despite the fact that they’ve lost eight matches out of 12, but MS Dhoni is not one of them. The CSK captain is aware that it is best that the team starts focussing on next year’s IPL because as far as the current season is concerned, despite their eight wicket-win over Royal Challengers Bangalore in Dubai on Sunday or whatever equation the math throws, Dhoni is convinced this is the first time in history that the playoffs won’t feature CSK.

IPL 2020 CSK vs RCB: MS Dhoni plays a shot. (PTI)

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“We don’t really have a chance to make it to the play-offs, leave the mathematical part of it,” Dhoni said after CSK’s eight-wicket win over Royal Challengers Bangalore. “But three, three and a half hours out there can get really painful. You have to tell them - let’s go out there and give it your best shot and enjoy the game whatever the result might be. If you aren’t out there enjoying, it becomes very painful. But the boys have always given their 100 percent.

But not being in the best of position to qualify for the knockouts, take nothing away from the fact that CSK played their best game of the IPL on Sunday. Sam Curran starred with a three-for and Ruturaj Gaikwad scored his maiden IPL fifty as CSK brushed aside RCB in Dubai. On a surface where RCB struggled to score runs, eventually ending to 145/6, CSK made batting look effortlessly easy with Gaikwad and Ambati Rayudu playing some exciting strokes. This is the kind of performance one would associate with CSK. But unfortunately, it’s come too late in the tournament.

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“This was one of the perfect games. Everything went to plan. The execution was there and we were able to pick wickets regularly to restrict them to a total that’s slightly below par on a wicket like this,” Dhoni added.

“A lot depends on how the players are performing and how the wicket is. This was definitely on the slower side and the spinners have done a very good job. In the middle overs we have struggled to take wickets. In the games we have gone for runs, it was big in the death overs. That could be one of the reasons why we didn’t do well this season. We haven’t been consistent with the bat, today the start was very good.”