Full credit to Sandeep Sharma, bowling with a wet ball to MS Dhoni who is on fire – Brett Lee
On Wednesday night at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, the 17th game of the IPL 2023, Chennai Super Kings lost to Rajasthan Royals by three runs as their tried-and-tested strategy of leaving it for late didn’t yield the desired results.
On Wednesday night at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, the 17th game of the IPL 2023, Chennai Super Kings lost to Rajasthan Royals by three runs as their tried-and-tested strategy of leaving it for late didn’t yield the desired results.
In eight games, this was CSK’s second loss to RR at home. CSK finished proceedings at 172/6 with Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni remaining unbeaten on a difficult 176-run target.
Dhoni, who was leading CSK for the 200th time in IPL, hit three sixes and a boundary, and the other unbeaten hitter, Ravindra Jadeja, got a 15-ball 25.
Sandeep Sharma, a medium-pace bowler with a tonne of experience, bowled the final over with 20 runs to defend and held his nerves to restrict the yellow brigade despite Dhoni’s two magnificent sixes in the over.
With their third victory in the four games, the Royals now have the most points. They have six points, the same as the Lucknow Super Giants, but are ahead based on the net run rate. CSK, on the other side, is now in fifth place with two victories and two losses.
Former Australia pacer Brett Lee praised the 29-year-old Sharma on JioCinema, saying:
“I like what he said in his post-match interview about how over the wicket wasn’t working, so he came around the wicket. But you’re right. It’s right within his arc, that sweet spot, and if he missed it by an inch, it would have gone for six. Full credit to Sandeep Sharma, bowling with a wet ball to MS Dhoni who is on fire, they’ve got the whole crowd against them. He closed out the game under pressure and that is absolutely hats off to him to win by three runs.”
Former India cricketer RP Singh was impressed by Sharma’s final-over execution; especially after the poor start, he got off to in it.
“It started with two wides and then a dot ball, and then we got to see two sixes as well. When the sixes were hit, the pressure was bound to catch up. At that time, you had to back yourself. We have heard the same thing from Dhoni he will capitalize on every mistake a bowler makes and punish him with a six. He always puts that pressure on the bowler, so imagine the mental state Sandeep Sharma was in. He knew that this batter will hit sixes if I make even the smallest mistake. Executing it the way he did is something that should be recognized.”
Meanwhile, former India Test captain Anil Kumble was happy to see Dhoni perform well, saying:
“I thought it was the perfect script for MS Dhoni there. In his 200th match as the captain of CSK. He was there for the last ball with six needed. If it was two or three inches slightly shorter, I think he would’ve done it. It was the perfect script. It was wonderful to see someone like MS Dhoni do it even now”