Chennai Super Kings captain MS Dhoni jokingly called himself an annoying captain after the four-time champions defeated Gujarat Titans in Qualifier 1 of IPL 2023. After being put into bat, CSK posted a tricky 172-run total thanks to Ruturaj Gaikwad's 60 and a crucial 22 in 16 balls by Ravindra Jadeja.
Then in the second innings, Dhoni and the CSK bowling took down the Gujarat batting lineup and bundled them out for the first time in the franchise's history, registering a thrilling 15-run win. Later in the post-match interview, Dhoni was asked about his tactical approach in today's fixture, Dhoni stated that he can sometimes come off as an annoying captain because he constantly asks his fielder to move around.
He said, "You see the wicket, you see conditions, and you keep adjusting the field. I can be an annoying captain because I change the field every time. It can be annoying but I believe in my gut feet. That's why I keep telling the fielders to keep an eye on me."
Further Dhoni talked about reaching the final and his team's performance over the 2023 season and deemed this milestone as special, especially in a 10-team tournament. He said, "I think IPL is too big to say it is just another final," Dhoni says. "It is no longer eight teams. Ten teams makes it all the more tougher. Hard work of two months. Lot of character showed by our players. Everyone has contributed. Yes, middle order hasn't got ample opportunity but they have chipped in.
Then talking about his opponents today, Dhoni said, "It was simple. GT are good chasers so we wanted to get them in. But it was a good toss to lose. The way it turned for 30 minutes.... and when Jaddu gets conditions like that, he is hard to hit. No forget the partnership between him and Moeen too."
