Chennai, April 26 – Expressing frustration over Chennai Super Kings' continuous poor performance in the ongoing IPL season, Mahendra Singh Dhoni admitted that when four to five players lose form simultaneously, it becomes extremely difficult for a team to achieve the desired results. Following CSK’s five-wicket loss to Sunrisers Hyderabad, Dhoni shared his thoughts on the challenges his team is facing.
Speaking after the match, Dhoni said that it is manageable to address one or two areas of weakness in a tournament like the IPL, but when most players are underperforming, the situation becomes complicated and demands changes. As per agency report, he added that the team is not able to put enough runs on the board, which has become a recurring issue.
Chasing a target of 155 runs, Sunrisers Hyderabad secured victory by scoring 155 for five in 18.4 overs, thanks to key contributions from Ishan Kishan (44), Kamindu Mendis (unbeaten 32), and Nitish Kumar Reddy (unbeaten 19).
Dhoni acknowledged that his team failed to capitalize on favorable batting conditions. He explained that they kept losing wickets at regular intervals, and that the pitch during the first innings was relatively good for batting, with 154-157 not being an adequate score under the circumstances. He noted that the ball was not turning much, and nothing abnormal was happening in the conditions.
He further pointed out that while the pitch offered some assistance during the second innings, CSK’s spinners bowled in the right areas but the team still fell 15–20 runs short of what was needed.
Dhoni praised South African youngster Dewald Brevis, who played a fine innings of 42 runs, and emphasized that such contributions were vital for the team's middle order. He concluded by saying that improving their performance during the middle overs, particularly against spinners, is an area where CSK must focus, as it is critical for building a competitive total.
