Chennai Super Kings captain MS Dhoni was lauded for his captaincy in their recent victory over Lucknow Super Giants. In their first home game of the Indian Premier League 2023, Chennai Super Kings won by 12 runs after defending 218 runs.
However, Lucknow Super Giants scared Chennai as Kyle Mayers smashed his way to a rapid half-century inside the powerplay. MS Dhoni then turned to his go-to bowler, Moeen Ali, who trapped Mayers in the final over of the powerplay. Ali went on to pick up four wickets in total, conceding just 26 runs in a game where runs flowed freely in Chennai’s MA Chidambaram Stadium.
Speaking on the official stream partner JioCinema, former South Africa player AB de Villiers praised Ali as Dhoni’s most trusted bowler under pressure, and the England all-rounder once again delivered under pressure against KL Rahul‘s side.
“He’s always Dhoni’s first pick of man to go and pick up wickets under pressure. I thought he should’ve bowled a little earlier, but MS, the master, and the guru, he always knows better,” De Villiers said while speaking in a JioCinema panel.
Former Chennai Super Kings batter Suresh Raina also praised Moeen and Dhoni’s captaincy, stating that Moeen’s two wickets at the top made a huge difference in the game. “Whenever he bowls, he keeps the ball away from the batter, and Mahi bhai knows this because KL Rahul is an important player for India and an important player in the IPL who has scored 600 runs before,” Raina said during the same panel discussion.
After the victory over Lucknow Super Giants, Chennai Super Kings have won one and lost one game from their first two matches in the Indian Premier League 2023.