The first six balls I played could have cost us in another game: MS Dhoni

Chennai Super Kings skipper MS Dhoni accepted that his slow start against Rajasthan Royals could have cost his team the game. Despite registering a massive 45-run win against Sanju Samson & Co., MS Dhoni isn't happy with his performance with the bat. The wicket-keeper batsman walked into bat at No.7 in the 14th over. He played four successive dot balls. Though he showed more urgency towards the end of the innings, he managed to score only 18 runs off 17 deliveries. Since IPL 2020, the 39-year-old has scored 218 runs in the tournament at the strike rate of 114. 

Talking about the match, Dhoni stated that he was glad CSK scored 180-plus runs. Although Chennai failed to put up a total of over 200, their lower middle-order somehow took the team beyond the 185-run mark. Later, their bowling unit raised the stakes and produced an impressive 45-run victory for the Super Kings against the Sanju Samson-led side.  Speaking at the post-match presentation ceremony, MS Dhoni accepted that he isn't expecting himself to deliver at the age of 40 especially considering that he never assured excellent performances when he was 24 years of age. 

Dhoni became the first captain to lead a franchise in 200 IPL matches

Both the sides arrived at the high-voltage clash on the back of morale-boosting victories in the 14th IPL season. Surprisingly, Chennai and Rajasthan named an unchanged playing XI during the toss. Both IPL teams remained keen on keeping up with their respective players. Rajasthan Royals captain Samson won the toss and asked Dhoni-led CSK to bat first at the Wankhede. 

CSK legend MS Dhoni recorded history by setting another captaincy record in the IPL. He became the first captain to lead a franchise in 200 IPL matches. As a cricketer and CSK legend, this was MS Dhoni's 207th appearance for the Yellow army in the game's shortest format. 

Dhoni-led CSK has bounced back stronger after suffering a devastating seven-wicket defeat against Delhi Capitals in their campaign opener. After the latest win against RR, Chennai Super Kings have taken the second spot in the IPL 2021 standings. On the other end, RR are spotted sixth with only 2 points to their name. The yellow brigade will now lock horns with Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in Mumbai on Wednesday.

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