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'Was hit for 6 off the first ball. Then Dhoni gave me an indication and I was successful': CSK bowler after IPL debut
A CSK bowler has narrated a story about how he benefitted immensely from MS Dhoni's advice in his debut IPL season.
The Chennai Super Kings got eliminated early from the IPL but for some players, it isn't the only memory of the season they'll carry with themselves. Especially for the younger set of cricketers, it was a dream come true moment as they got to play under the great MS Dhoni. The legendary Dhoni, who was handed back captaincy of the franchise after Ravindra Jadeja couldn't deliver the results in the first half. And once Dhoni took over, the likes of Shivam Dube, Prashant Solanki, Mukesh Choudhary and Maheesh Theekshana began making waves.
Out of them, Solanki, making his IPL debut narrated a story about how he benefitted immensely from Dhoni's advice from behind the stumps. Solanki played his first game against the Gujarat Titans on May 15 at the Wankhede Stadium and went wicketless. However, in his second and final match of the season, Solanki grabbed 2/20 and revealed how Dhoni’s tips helped him succeed against the Rajasthan Royals.
"Mahi bhai keeps things very simple. Whether you're bowling leg-spin, googly or top-spin, if you're not giving runs, you are bowling well. He had given us instructions that we have to bowl dot balls because that's what creates pressure in T20 cricket," Solanki told SportsKeeda.
"In the second game, I came in to bowl a bit late because we didn't have a big total and he was shuffling the bowlers around. I was hit for a six off my first ball. Then he (Dhoni) gave me an indication that I have to pull my length back and keep it a little shorter. Let him play strokes on the bigger end. Then I was successful."
"He (Hetmyer) hit me for a boundary and then Mahi bhai indicated me once again to use the bigger side of the ground. I bowled the top spinner on his legs and he miscued it and was out on deep mid-wicket."
Solanki, who picked by CSK for ₹1.2 crore at the IPL mega-auction did get a longer rope in his debut season but with the promise he has shown, it is likely that Dhoni might show more trust in him next year.
