Matthew Hayden disagreed with MS Dhoni’s cautious approach during the powerplay, saying the pitch was good for batting and CSK should have aimed for a higher score.
Former Australian cricketer and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) icon Matthew Hayden voiced his disappointment over CSK’s approach during the powerplay in their recent loss to Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at Chepauk. Speaking on JioHotstar, Hayden shared his views on the Chepauk surface and MS Dhoni’s tactics, particularly in the early overs of the match.
“I honestly believed this pitch could have suited a score of over 180. It seemed like a solid pitch, with its hard black soil. When MS Dhoni talked about playing conservatively in the powerplay, I found myself disagreeing with him.” Hayden remarked that the pitch appeared good for batting and felt CSK missed the opportunity to capitalise early. He added that Chennai’s cautious approach in the powerplay put pressure on their middle-order batters like Shivam Dube and Dhoni himself.
“They have some talented players on their side, but if they keep playing it safe, it limits the effectiveness of guys like Dube and puts extra stress on Dhoni,” Hayden said.
The match ended in a disappointing eight-wicket loss for CSK, with KKR comfortably chasing down a 104-run target in just 10.1 overs. The margin of defeat — with 59 balls remaining — marked CSK’s worst loss in IPL history based on deliveries left. Reacting after the game, Dhoni looked visibly disappointed and admitted that the batting unit failed to deliver. He urged his team to stop playing with desperation and instead focus on applying themselves better in upcoming matches.
“We’ve had a tough time lately, and it hasn’t gone our way. We can’t shy away from that challenge; we need to confront it head-on. Today, I felt like we just didn’t put enough runs on the board,” Dhoni said.
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