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Chennai Super Kings faced their third successive defeat on Sunday after failing to chase down 180. None of the CSK batters could deliver impressive knocks in the game and build crucial partnerships in the game to rescue CSK from an unprecedented third defeat in the 15th season of the Indian Premier League.
Dhoni showed off his brilliant athleticism by dismissing Rajapaksa with a diving run-out in the first innings and was lauded by many for his supreme presence of mind. However, his 23 runs in 28 balls received heavy criticism from many, including former Indian skipper Sunil Gavaskar. Ravindra Jadeja-led Chennai Super Kings took on Punjab Kings on Sunday, where Mayank Agarwal & Co. batted first and scored 180 runs. CSK's top-order collapsed like nine pins, and when Dhoni walked into the bat, they were 36/5.
Commenting on Dhoni's slow innings, Gavaskar said, "Dhoni often rotates strike if he fails to hit big. But, Dhoni could not even rotate strikes in a match against Punjab Kings. That's where CSK got stuck." While Dhoni played a frustrating knock to derail Chennai's run chase, all-rounder Shivam Dube played a fantastic 57-run knock from 30 deliveries. Gavaskar also highlighted that Dube's brilliant batting went in vain as none of the other batters could help him.
"Even Dhoni was off his game with a little bit and failed to provide any assistance to Dube. Dhoni played with the strike rate of 80, contrasting with what was required at the moment," concluded Gavaskar.