There is no recipe for success, you try and pick best players: MS Dhoni after CSK enter IPL 2023 playoffs

New Delhi: Chennai Super Kings (CSK) captain MS Dhoni lauded management for backing the squad who were picked for the team and said that there is no recipe for success as the team needs to pick the best players and give them a slot to perform.
Chennai Super Kings cruised into the playoffs as they beat Delhi Capitals at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Saturday. CSK dominated a dismal Delhi to qualify for the playoffs and gave themselves the best shot at the second spot. CSK ended their 14-match league campaign with 17 points. When asked what made the team click season after season, Dhoni mentioned the sacrifices the players had to make for the sake of the team.
"There is no recipe for success, you try and pick the best players and give them the best slot to perform. And groom them in the areas where they are not strong, somebody has to sacrifice their slot for the team. Credit to the management as well, they always back us. But, the players are most important, without the players, we can't do anything. I think death bowling, confidence is very important," MS Dhoni said in a post-match presentation.
CSK captain praised Tushar Deshpande and Matheesha Pathirana for their death overs bowling. Delhi Capitals again lost a wicket early as Prithvi Shaw departed in the second over, courtesy of a brilliant diving catch at mid-off from Rayudu, off Tushar Deshpande.
"Tushar has developed because he is able to execute under pressure, he has the confidence now. And when you keep playing the same players, it helps. I think the bowlers have also taken the responsibility, Pathirana is quite a natural to bowling at the death but Deshpande has really developed there," stated the CSK captain.
The CSK openers Ruturaj Gaikwad (79 off 50) and Devon Conway (87 off 52) set the stage on fire to lay the platform with a 141-run stand. Shivam Dube(22 off 9) and Ravindra Jadeja(20* off 7) then provided the final acceleration with impactful cameos as CSK posted a mammoth 223/3.
Dhoni stated that he has complete faith in his team and combination heading into the IPL playoffs.
"I think we need to figure out and pick players who are team first - not bothered about individual performance and perform the best at knockout stages. It is difficult to judge from the outside, we tryand adjust to the players and environment as well. Even if they come 10%, we can adjust 50% to fit them better into the team," he added.
Coming to the match, chasing 224, Delhi Capitals again lost a wicket early as Prithvi Shaw departed in the second over, courtesy a brilliant diving catch at mid off from Rayudu, off Tushar Deshpande.
CSK built pressure from the start with accurate and disciplined bowling and gave away just two fours in the first four overs. Warner then broke the shackles, hammering a six and a four over long on off Deepak Chahar in the fifth over but the CSK pacer hit back hard as he send back Phil Salt, caught at extra cover and then made Rilee Rossouw drag one onto his stumps off the next ball to script a splendid comeback. Warner ended the Powerplay with a six as DC trudged to 34/3.
CSK kept things tight but then Warner upped the ante with a six and a four off Jadeja. He hit a four off Theekshana in the next over and then brought up his fifty off 32 balls. The captain was single-handedly keeping the momentum going as wickets fell at the other end. He saw Yash Dhull depart from the other end but he kept going strong smashing three sixes and a four off Jadeja to take 23 runs off the over. He then saw Axar Patel depart in the next over as Chahar came back to dismiss the DC all-rounder as DC were reduced to 109/5 in the 14th over. Chahar finished with an impressive spell of 4-0-22-3.
While Warner kept fighting, the run rate crept over 21 with five overs remaining. Aman Khan broke the deadlock with the first boundary in 15 balls as he whipped one wide of short fine leg for a four off Tushar Deshpande. Warner ended the over by thumping one over extra cover and chopping one to third man for another four as DC accumulated 15 runs off the 16th over.
Pathirana then jolted DC further as he had Aman Khan caught at extra cover off the slower ball. CSK's Impact Player bowled a fantastic over and gave away just six in the over.
With required run rate creeping to 29 per over, it was always going to be a bridge too far for DC as Warner finally departed in the 19th over, caught at long on off Pathirana for 86(58) and Theekshana sent back Lalit Yadav and Kuldeep Yadav off consecutive balls in the final over as DC fell well short by 77 runs. (ANI)