Mahendra Singh Dhoni led Chennai Super Kings (CSK) to their fourth title in the Indian Premier League (IPL) after defeating Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in IPL 2021 final on Friday. Dhoni, who is known for his calmness on the field, showed utmost sportsmanship after the game and went on to praise KKR.
Dhoni acknowledged the fight shown by the runners-up of the fourteenth season and their overall cricket, especially in the second leg in United Arab Emirates (UAE). Notably, KKR were placed seventh on the points table after the tournament’s first half with only two wins from seven games. However, the Knight Riders completely turned around the proceedings in the UAE, winning seven out of their next nine fixtures.
Dhoni hailed Eoin Morgan‘s side for the way they bounced back in the tournament while adding that KKR deserved to win the title this season.
“I think before I start talking about CSK, I feel it’s important that I talk about KKR. The position they were in at the first half of IPL, it is difficult from that position to come back and do what they have really done,” said Dhoni at the post-match presentation.
“If any team deserved to win this year’s IPL, I feel it’s KKR. Big credit to the support staff and the players because it’s not easy whenever the team is not doing well, it’s a difficult task. I think the break really helped them, but tremendous performance,” he added.
Here is the video:
MS (Class Act) Dhoni! 👏 👏
The @ChennaiIPL captain lauded the @Eoin16-led @KKRiders for a fine season. 👍 👍 @msdhoni | #VIVOIPL | #CSKvKKR | #Final pic.twitter.com/OAvjEhhfoi
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) October 15, 2021
The 40-year-old also talked about the experience from being the first team to get eliminated in IPL 2020 to becoming the first team to qualify for the Playoffs this year.
“We had match winners coming game after game and doing really well. Every final is special, if you look at stats, we may say we’re the most consistent team to lose the final too. I feel it’s important to come back strong, especially in the knockouts. Frankly, no chats, we don’t talk a lot [meetings]. It’s more one-on-one, our practice sessions are meeting sessions. The moment you get into a team room, it brings about different pressure. Our practise sessions have been good,” Dhoni added further.
