MS Dhoni equates his fitness level with youngsters', says 'can't guarantee performances'

Chennai Super Kings skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni said that performance is something that cannot be guaranteed by anyone irrespective of their age after his team's win over Rajasthan Royals during their IPL 2021 league match at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Monday. Giving further clarification on the same, MS Dhoni said that he was not guaranteeing performances during his younger days and still is in no position to guarantee as a veteran.

'Performances are something that's not guaranteed': MS Dhoni

"When you are playing, you don't really want anyone to say he's unfit. Performances are something that's not guaranteed. I wasn't guaranteeing performances when I was 24, I can't guarantee when I am 40, but at least if people can't point finger at me that he's unfit then that will be a big positive for me. I have to keep up with the younger guys, they are very fast, it's good to challenge them", said CSK skipper MS Dhoni during the post-match interview.

CSK register an emphatic win

Coming back to the contest, Rajasthan restricted Chennai to a manageable total of 188/9 from their 20 overs on a perfect batting wicket with opener Faf du Plessis (33), Moeen Ali (26), and, Ambati Rayudu (27) managing to show some resistance with the bat. Caribbean all-rounder Dwayne Bravo's quickfire 8-ball unbeaten 20 at the backend of the innings powered CSK to a fighting total.

In reply, opener Jos Buttler (49) kept the Royals in the hunt despite losing Manan Vohra and skipper Sanju Samson. However, once the English limited-overs specialist was dismissed, the inaugural edition's winners suffered a batting collapse and were eventually restricted to 143/9. CSK registered an emphatic win by 45 runs and have now won their second match of this season. 

'Never expected that many turns': Sanju Samson

During the post-match presentation, RR skipper Sanju Samson said that he never expected that the will turn that much and the dew will not come into action. "I thought it was a good score to chase down but we lost too many wickets in the middle overs. Our bowlers bowled really well, they batted too deep. 10-15 runs extra we gave down the line. We never expected that (turn), the dew didn't come and the ball was still turning, so it was a bit shocking to see. It's very important to maintain a good composure, this format demands us to score at a higher risk rate; hence, it's very normal to get out often. I keep working on the basics and giving myself some time at the centre. He's (Chetan Sakariya) been doing really well, we lost the match but there are a lot of positives," said Samson.

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