IPL 2021: CSK skipper MS Dhoni cops fine for slow over rate against DC

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) skipper MS Dhoni has been fined after his team maintained a slow over-rate during their Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 match against Delhi Capitals (DC) on Saturday at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. The Super Kings lost the game by seven wickets after posting 188 for the loss of seven wickets in their allotted 20 overs.

As far as Dhoni is concerned, since it was CSK’s first offence under the IPL’s Code of Conduct, the 39-year-old was docked INR 12 lakhs. Dhoni didn’t have a great time with the bat either. He bagged a two-ball duck and was clean bowled by young pacer Avesh Khan in the 16th over. It also happened to be his first duck since the 2015 edition of the T20 league.

MS Dhoni reckons dew played a part

The Super Kings couldn’t make the IPL 2020 playoffs and were knocked out with three games left in their first round. Their journey in the ongoing edition didn’t get off to an auspicious start as well. After being put in to bat first, Ruturaj Gaikwad and Faf du Plessis perished in quick succession.

Suresh Raina, making his IPL return after two years, scored a 36-ball 54 and he got support from other middle-order batters. But chasing the target of 189, DC openers Prithvi Shaw and Shikhar Dhawan’s 138-run stand for the opening wicket got the Super Kings on their knees.

Following the loss, Dhoni reckoned that after the dew settled in, batting became a tad easier. He also said that on a batting paradise like the Wankhede, teams should be aiming for scores around 200, bearing in mind the dew factor as well.

“The batters did a good job to reach 188 because it was tacky until dew settled in 50 minutes later. We could have bowled slightly better, and if batters are hitting you over the fields. The execution of the bowlers was poor and there were boundary balls that they bowled, but the bowlers will have learned and they will apply that in the future games,” Dhoni said after the game.

“The opposition has half an hour in a 7:30 start when the pitch is really tacky, so we need to get 15-20 runs extra to be safe. If we get dew consistently, then 200 will be a must on a pitch like this. Their bowlers bowled a great line when it was stopping and seaming a bit, and the openers got good balls in which they got out and that can happen,” he added.