Chennai Super Kings captain MS Dhoni said Friday his team's score of 154 against Sunrisers Hyderabad was "not a justifiable score" after they suffered a five-wicket loss at Chepauk. The defeat marked CSK's seventh in nine Indian Premier League games this season and their first home loss ever against SRH.
Dhoni felt the team was "short by 15-20 runs" after being bowled out in 19.5 overs chasing 155 for victory. The Chennai Super Kings score faltered significantly, losing their last six wickets for just 40 runs after reaching 114 for 4 in the 13th over.
Reflecting on the match, Dhoni stated, "I think we kept losing wickets and another thing is I felt, in the first innings, the wicket was slightly better, and 155 \154 is not a justifiable score because it wasn't turning a lot." He added that the pitch became slightly two-paced for fast bowlers later, but nothing unusual.
He suggested the team could have batted better and added more runs. Dhoni acknowledged the pitch offered some help to spinners in the second innings, allowing them bounce and stopping the ball, but maintained CSK's first innings total was insufficient.
One positive note for CSK was the performance of 21-year-old Dewald Brevis. Playing his first game as an injury replacement, Brevis top-scored with 42 off 25 balls, including four sixes.
Dhoni praised Brevis's effort and highlighted the team's weakness against spinners in the middle overs. He emphasized the need for batsmen to improve scoring against spin or be prepared to play big shots when opportunities arise.
The loss leaves CSK at the bottom of the league standings with just four points. Their playoff hopes now appear dim, needing a remarkable turnaround in remaining matches. CSK has lost four of their five home games this season. Read more about CSK's playoff scenario.
CSK will next play Punjab Kings at Chepauk on April 30. They previously lost to Punjab Kings by 18 runs earlier in the season in Mullanpur.
Speaking candidly about the team's struggles, MS Dhoni commented on the performance of multiple players.
"In a tournament like this, if you have one or two areas where you can plug in the holes, it's good," Dhoni said. "But, if the majority of your players are not doing well, whether it's batting or bowling, it becomes challenging because you have to make a few changes. But if the majority of them are doing well, you give that guy that extra few games and if it doesn't work out, then you move on to the next one. But if four of them are not performing at the same time, you're bound to make that change because you can't just keep on going because you're not putting enough runs on the board. And that's essential right now."
