IPL 2020: MS Dhoni explains reasons behind CSK’s fourth defeat of season

IPL 2020: Chennai Super Kings batsmen in the middle overs simply could not take off. Dhoni promoted himself to No. 4 but was bowled by Varun Chakravarthy. Kedar Jadhav looked out of sorts scoring 7 off 12 balls, and even though Ravindra Jadeja hit 21 off 8 balls, it wasn’t enough to save CSK.

After a resounding 10-wicket mauling of Kings XI Punjab, it looked as if Chennai Super Kings were back doing what they do best, but a 10-run defeat to Kolkata Knight Riders has once again pegged back the three-time champions. CSK did well to stop KKR at 167, but the batting unit failed to come together with no one barring Shane Watson (50) and to some extent Ambati Rayudu (30), failing to chip in with any significant contribution.

IPL 2020 KKR vs CSK: Chennai Super Kings slumped to their 4th defeat of the season. (CSK/Twitter)

“In the middle overs, there was a phase when they bowled two-three good overs. Then we lost wickets. If our batting was different during that period, the result would have been different. Initially we gave away a few too many with the new ball. Karn did really well,” captain MS Dhoni said after the match.

Dwayne Bravo emerged star with the ball picking up 3/37, as KKR were all out for 167, with Rahul Tripathi top-scoring with 81 off 51 balls. The CSK batsmen in the middle overs simply could not take off. Dhoni promoted himself to No. 4 but was bowled by Varun Chakravarthy. Kedar Jadhav looked out of sorts scoring 7 off 12 balls, and even though Ravindra Jadeja hit 21 off 8 balls, it wasn’t enough to save CSK.

“The bowlers did well to bring them down to 160, but the batsmen let the bowlers down. There were no boundaries in the end, and you have to be slightly innovative in these scenarios. If someone is bowling just back of a length, you have to find a way to hit boundaries,” Dhoni said.