Explaining MS Dhoni’s firing against RCB, hitting legend Sachin Tendulkar has saluted Yuzvendra Chahal and said he was playing chess-like mind games against the CSK captain.
RCB spinner Yuzvendra Chahal fired MS Dhoni in match 25 of the 2020 IPL (Image BCCI)
HIGHLIGHT
- Sachin Tendulkar has said that it felt like Chahal was playing chess with Dhoni in Dubai.
- Yuzvendra Chahal dismissed MS Dhoni in match 25 of IPL 2020
- MS Dhoni failed to carry CSK over the winning line vs RCB on Saturday
Chennai Super Kings (CSK) needed 81 runs of 34 balls when MS Dhoni came in to bat against Royal Challengers Bangalore on Saturday in match 25 of IPL 2020 in Dubai. Sam Curran, Dwayne Bravo and Ravindra Jadeja were still at bat, so the responsibility fell again on MS Dhoni to take charge and lead his team over the winning line. Dhoni had already faced a lot of criticism due to a losing streak with the bat in the 13th edition of the cash-rich league, so the pressure took hold of him immediately.
There was also not a long time that Dhoni came in and action was required from the start. Yuzvendra Chahal was introduced just 4 balls after the arrival of the CSK captain. Chahal threw a nice shot down the line off stum to start when Dhoni took a single. The third ball of the over was just under Dhoni’s goal and he took the opportunity to hit six in a row.
We should pause here for a moment and instead take a look at how Indian hitting legend Sachin Tendulkar has described this. We are just mortals following this game with passion and we are nowhere near the explanations given by the ‘God’ of cricket himself.
Sachin Tendulkar has said that Yuzvendra Chahal ‘played chess with MS Dhoni’ in the finale.
Describing the second ball after the one that went for six, Tendulkar has said that the RCB leg-spinner launched the delivery with minimal pace at the leg stump line. Chahal’s slow pace according to Sachin Tendulkar was waiting to get a superior lead from MS Dhoni. Tendulkar said that Dhoni understood what Chahal was trying to do and therefore simply blocked the ball. It was at this point that Sachin realized that Chahal was “playing chess” with the former captain of India.
“When MS Dhoni came to bat, Chahal stepped in front of him. He hit the first ball into Dhoni’s arc and effortlessly hit a six and that’s his strength. He changed the line on the next ball. He threw it towards the leg- stump and also kept the pace slow, hoping it would take a higher edge and there would be a chance. MS Dhoni noticed and blocked the ball. but then he also started thinking. I think Chahal was playing chess with MS Dhoni, he was playing games mental, “said the former Mumbai Indians hitter.
Furthermore, Tendulkar explained that Dhoni anticipated a pitch of the same length on the next ball and thus moved slightly towards the stump of his leg to get in line with the ball, but Chahal did his chess move again. and threw the ball out, making Dhoni struggled to reach the ball. The result of Chahal’s “mind game” was that Dhoni couldn’t get any power on the shot and was caught by Gurkeerat Singh from a distance.
“MS Dhoni then decided that he would move to the leg stump and line up with the ball to play that length in the next installment, but Chahal again used a chess move there and threw the ball to MS Dhoni towards the stump. MS Dhoni had to stretch it to get there, he reached for the ball but the ball hit the bottom half of the bat and so he couldn’t generate that power in the shot. The long fielder took a catch. These mind games between the two were interesting. It didn’t last long, but it was good. Chahal, it was a chess move. “
Wickets fell steadily for CSK after that and the team fell to their fifth loss in the 2020 IPL season.
