Chennai Super Kings skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni admitted that key batsman Matthew Hayden's below-par performance has affected his team's chances of making the semi-finals of the Indian Premier League.
Chennai Super Kings skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni admitted that key batsman Matthew Hayden's below-par performance has affected his team's chances of making the semi-finals of the Indian Premier League.
Hayden, who was the leading run-scorer in IPL II last year with 572 runs (avg 52.00), is having a lean run, aggregating 316 runs at 24.30. The burly left-handed opener failed once again yesterday as CSK crashed to a six-wicket defeat against Delhi Daredevils at the Chidambaram Stadium.
Hayden was out for one and CSK, batting first, were all out for 112. "He (Hayden) has been our leading player, so him not batting as well as he had been, has affected us. Even I have fired only in a few matches. After the injury, I wasn't 100 per cent sure of what I was doing in the middle. I am a sort of player, who loves to spend time at the wicket," said Dhoni in the post-match conference.
On 12 points with a game to go, CSK are fourth in the league table. "It's (semi-final spot) not in our hands now. It depends on Deccan Chargers, who have two matches while we have one. We must win and hope they go down," said Dhoni after adding that part-time spinners Tillakaratne Dilshan and Virender Sehwag stood out yesterday for Delhi. "Dilshan and Sehwag made all the difference. They were spinning the ball quite well, and after we lost our first five wickets early (53-5), it was always against us," he said.
Dhoni admitted that the players were feeling the strain after playing non-stop for a month. "It has been quite draining, especially at this time of the year. As a result, there have been a lot of niggles and cramps, and you realise it only when you get affected," Dhoni said.
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