'Putting Too Much Pressure': MS Dhoni Hits Back At 1983 WC Winner, Defends R. Ashwin And His Credentials As CSK Player

IPL 2025: Chennai Super Kings have bounced back, and how. Their skipper, MS Dhoni , led them to an emphatic win over the aggressive Rishabh Pant 's Lucknow Super Giants . The LSG outfit, this year, has been trying to follow Sunrisers Hyderabad's template of playing the IPL . At times, it has reaped some great rewards, but it has backfired on multiple occasions too.

This was CSK's second win of the season, and they'll look to bank on the winning momentum. 

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MS Dhoni Defends Ravichandran Ashwin

Chennai Super Kings fans were very pleased with R. Ashwin coming back to their squad, but the Indian spin stalwart is not having a great time while playing for the 'Dad's Army'. Ashwin, on many occasions, was promoted up the order to bat, but he couldn't deliver there too. Ashwin is one of the brightest cricketing minds and is equally effective with both the bat and the ball, but he has somehow been dismal with his performances.

Former India player and winner of the 1983 Cricket World Cup , Krishnamachari Srikkanth, was extremely vocal about Ashwin's performances, and he even called for CSK to drop the all-rounder. After the LSG clash, MS Dhoni came in Ashwin's defense and said that there is a lot of pressure on the spinner.

"We were putting too much pressure on Ash. He was bowling two overs in the first six. We made changes, and this looks like a better attack. As a bowling unit, we've done well. As a batting unit, we can do better. Roles and responsibilities - that's what we talk about," said the CSK skipper after the match.

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Chennai Super Kings Bounce Back In Style

Chennai Super Kings have been under the scanner in the ongoing eighteenth season of the Indian Premier League. They had lost five consecutive games prior to the CSK vs LSG clash, and their campaign looked in turmoil. Chennai's case was already lost in the LSG game as well, but it was MS Dhoni's heroics that saved them the embarrassment.

MS Dhoni was also felicitated with the player of the match award for his quickfire knock of 26 from 11 balls.