Relieved Dhoni praises bowlers after thrilling victory

Hyderabad, May 28 (UNI) Chennai Super Kings captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni was relieved after edging out Deccan Chargers in a thrilling contest and enter the semifinals of the inaugural Indian Premier League (IPL) here.

''Definitely a big relief if it ends up a crunch game in do or die situation and you got to win. Of course it was crucial,'' Dhoni told mediapersons after the match yesterday.

He praised his bowlers for restricting the Chargers to a modest total which set up the win for the Super Kings.

''I think we have bowled well. We had started off well, I think bowlers did the job initially. 150 odd runs were quite an achievable target and the wicket was good,'' Dhoni said.

The skipper said the top-order will play a crucial role in the knock-out stages.

''In T20 matches if top-order batsman like Sanath Jayasuriya, Virender Sehwag or Shuan Marsh or any top-order has his day definitely it puts pressure on rival teams,'' he stated.

''Semifinal... If it is a close game, there will be lot of excitement even to the players. It depends on what happens on the field.'' UNI XC AB CS SSC1244