On Monday, at the Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) defeated Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) by 5 wickets. Chasing a target of 167 runs, CSK won the match in 19.3 overs. This was CSK’s second win of the season.
MS Dhoni was given the Player of the Match award for his quick innings of 26 runs off 11 balls, which included 1 six and 4 fours. Interestingly, Dhoni became the oldest player in IPL history to win this award. His last Player of the Match award came in 2019. But Dhoni himself was surprised that he received it and revealed who he thought truly deserved it.
What Did Dhoni Say After the Match?
After the game, Dhoni said,
“It feels good to win. Unfortunately, some of our earlier matches didn’t go our way. A win gives the team a lot of confidence, and hopefully, this momentum will continue.”
He added, “In the last few matches, our bowling in the first six overs was weak, but we improved in the middle overs. Batting hasn’t started well either, maybe because of the pitches in Chennai. Hopefully, on better pitches, our batting unit will gain confidence.”
Dhoni also explained how the team made bowling changes to handle the pressure in the first six overs and appreciated the overall improvement. He especially praised Rashid for his good batting and said that the batting lineup needed some adjustments, and those changes worked well.
Who Deserved the Player of the Match?
When Dhoni came to collect the Player of the Match award, he was surprised. He said,
“Even I’m shocked to be receiving this award today. Actually, Noor Ahmad bowled brilliantly today.”
Though Noor Ahmad didn’t take any wickets, he bowled a fantastic spell, conceding just 13 runs in 4 overs and creating pressure on LSG’s batters. Dhoni felt Noor’s economical bowling made a huge impact on the game and deserved the award more than him.
Conclusion
Even though Dhoni’s quick-fire innings helped CSK win, his humility and sportsmanship won hearts when he praised Noor Ahmad’s performance and admitted he was surprised by the award.