Rishabh Pant's captaincy came under the scanner |Courtesy- screengrab
KEY HIGHLIGHTS
- MS Dhoni helped CSK beat LSG
- Rishabh Pant's captaincy came under the scanner
- Ravi Bishnoi bowled just three overs
MS Dhoni pulled of a vintage batting display with a knock of 26 in 11 balls as Chennai Super Kings (CSK) beat Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) by five wickets in a 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL) to end a five-match losing streak for the five-time champions.
Dhoni walked out with five overs left and joined Shivam Dube in the middle following a middle-order collapse, leaving the match in the balance. The CSK skipper was at his best and made no mistakes in a knock that included four boundaries and one maximum.
Dhoni's batting positon and approach has been under the scanner in CSK's nightmare start to the season but he silenced his critics and was awarded the Player of the Match (POTM) award. The 43-year-old received the prize for the first time since 2019 and became the oldest player in the league's history to win the award.
Rishabh Pant's Captaincy Slammed
While Dhoni's knock sparked celebrations, Rishabh Pant faced heat with his captaincy under the scanner. Cricket fans on social media were not pleased as LSG did not bowl a single ball of spin after Dhoni walked out to the middle. After the CSK's skipper entry, Avesh Khan bowled three overs while Shardul was given the other two. While Shardul conceded 56 runs in four overs, Avesh was smashed for 32 in just 3.3 overs.
Over recent years, Dhoni has continued to excel against pace but his game against spin has declined which has been described by many as a reason behind his decision to delay his entry point. However, LSG decided against bowling Ravi Bishnoi, who is not only a wrist spinner but also the home team's best bowler on the day with two wickets in three overs, in which he conceded just 18 runs.
After the match ended, Dhoni was spotted having a quick pep talk with Pant during the post-match handshakes.
Pant was asked about the decision to not bowl Bishnoi in the post-match chat and claimed that the move was discussed with other players but they decided to stick with pace.
Earlier, Pant scored his first half-century of the season and for his new franchise with a knock of 63 in 49 balls. The defeat ended LSG's three-match winning run and also saw them miss out on a golden chance to go on top of the table. The Super Giants are currently fourth in the table with eight points after winning four games and losing three.
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