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Chennai Super Kings out of IPL 2020 play-off race; MS Dhoni's reason angers fans

Chennai Super Kings out of IPL 2020 play-off race; MS Dhoni's reason angers fans. Dhoni says the Super Kings were not there in the tournament and then offers some more reason.

Chennai Super Kings were beaten by Rajasthan Royals

Abu Dhabi, October 20: It is not often that you find MS Dhoni with a sense of resignation. In the past, Dhoni had presented a brave, cheerful face even after some of the heaviest defeats. But after the defeat against Rajasthan Royals in an IPL 2020 match on Monday (October 19), Dhoni looked a spent man.

Of course, Chennai Super Kings still can theoretically enter the play-offs if they win the remaining four matches and the results of some other games go their way. But Dhoni, in his mind, knew that the Super Kings campaign in the IPL 2020 is over. He has no more miracles to spring.

"We play in front of millions of people so there is nothing to hide. We were trying a few things but fair enough, this season we were not really here," Dhoni said in the post-match presentation. It was as candid an admission you can get from Dhoni about the position CSK are in currently - playing for pride in a tournament that they lorded over in some style over 11 seasons.

The Super Kings often finds a player or two who will rise against all odds to carry them through. But in the IPL 2020 there was none, even Dhoni did not seem to be a part. There were a few players in the CSK bench like Imran Tahir, who was the Purple Cap winner in IPL 2019, R Sai Kishore etc who never got a chance and the likes of Ruturaj Gaikwad and Narayan Jagadeesan were used sparingly.

Dhoni offered an explanation. "You don't want to chop and change. Insecurity is not something you don't want to prevail in the dressing room. The youngsters, we did not see the spark (in them) to push the guys. But what this result has done is give those youngsters a chance in the rest of the tournament," said Dhoni.

In another way Dhoni was revealing the failure of core unit of Chennai Super Kings among which only Faf du Plessis showed some spark and desire to perform.

Story first published: Tuesday, October 20, 2020, 11:40 [IST]
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