IPL 2023: ‘Feels special beating Chennai in Chennai,’ says Shikhar Dhawan

Punjab Kings (PBKS) captain Shikhar Dhawan on Sunday expressed how delighted he was after his side defeated Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at Chepauk Stadium.

PBKS defeated CSK by four wickets in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 in Chennai. It was CSK’s fourth loss this season, Punjab secured their fifth victory and climbed to No. 5 in the league table.

The visitors needed nine runs off the final over before Sikander Raza ran three runs to secure a superb win for Punjab on the last ball of the game.

“It feels very very special. Beating Chennai in Chennai is a very big thing. Very very pleased and that shows the great character of our side, leaving that loss behind and coming up with a fresh mindset. I was very happy with the way our bowlers bowled, we got them at the right score. They have been very consistent. As a captain we wanted them to play more overs, Liam has got his touch back and would want him to bat more overs. Good signs that all are playing well,” said Dhawan at the post-match presentation on Sunday.

CSK captain MS Dhoni, meanwhile, admitted that his side was short by at least 10-15 runs against Punjab.

“We need to be prepared as to what is to be done. The last few overs when we were batting, we could have gotten 10-15 more. Our bowling needed some cushion. The slower one did grip. Our batters have been putting runs consistently. I think 200 was par but we bowled two bad overs. We know the conditions well. We didn't bowl well. You didn't want to get hit to that side. You need to see what is the problem. The execution or the plan. Pathirana bowled really well. The first six overs we can do better. What lines to bowl,” added Dhoni.

Even though CSK ended on the losing side, their opening batter Devon Conway was named the Player of the Match for scoring an unbeaten 92 off 52 balls, including a six and 16 fours. He put up 86 runs for the first wicket with Ruturaj Gaikwad, who scored 37 off 31 balls.

Speaking after the loss, Conway revealed that he works closely with CSK batting coach Mike Hussey, who had a successful career with both Australia and CSK.

“As I said at the innings break, we felt that it is a bit slow when you hit the wicket but to be fair it was a good wicket. We felt that 200 was a very competitive score. Disappointed that we lost that one. It is never easy. It is about keeping things simple, sticking to my process and not to complicate things. In T20s it can be up and down.

“I try to work as close as I can with Mike Hussey who is very experienced not only for Australia but also for CSK, he has played a lot of cricket here, along with the other players. I enjoy batting with Ruturaj and Ajinkya has got a lot of experience. When you build partnerships, it helps,” added Conway.