MS Dhoni Calls for Improved Pitches in IPL for Better Shot-Making

Dhoni's Plea for Better Playing Conditions

On Monday, MS Dhoni, the captain of Chennai Super Kings, urged IPL organizers to enhance pitch quality to promote aggressive batting, emphasizing that no team desires to engage in 'timid' cricket.

He specifically pointed out the conditions at CSK's home ground, Chepauk, which has historically been a stronghold for the team but has posed significant challenges this season.

CSK managed to break their five-match losing streak by defeating Lucknow Super Giants by five wickets, with Dhoni contributing significantly with a quick-fire 26 runs off just 11 balls to secure the victory.

Dhoni remarked, 'One reason could be that the Chennai pitch tends to be a bit slower. Our batting has performed better when playing away. We might need to play on pitches that are more conducive to batting, allowing players to express themselves. Timid cricket is not what we aim for.'

'Our bowling has been commendable, but we can certainly enhance our batting performance.'

After being named player of the match, Dhoni expressed that this win would instill confidence in the team.

'Winning is crucial in a tournament like this. The previous matches didn't favor us for various reasons. It's refreshing to have a win, which boosts the team's morale and highlights areas for improvement.'

Rishabh Pant, the captain of LSG, who ended his scoring drought with a solid 63 runs off 49 balls, mentioned that he is gradually finding his form.

'I feel better with each game, but sometimes things don’t go as planned. I'm slowly getting into my rhythm, taking it one match at a time,' he stated.

Pant also explained the decision not to bowl Ravi Bishnoi (2/18) in the final over, despite his impressive performance.

'We had discussions with several players, but we couldn't utilize him in the last over today.'

'Bowling during the powerplay has been a challenge for us, but we are focused on extracting positives from every match.'

He added that LSG felt they fell short by 10 to 15 runs on the two-paced Ekana Stadium pitch.

'As a team, we believe we were a bit short. We lost wickets at crucial moments when we had the momentum. We needed to build partnerships. The pitch was a bit tricky, but I think we could have scored 15 more runs,' he concluded.