Chennai Super Kings had a below-par season in IPL 2022 as they failed to qualify for the playoffs with just four wins in 14 games. After CSK's defeat in the last league match against Rajasthan Royals on Friday, Chennai captain MS Dhoni opened up about his team's plan for the next year and gave a special mention to Baby Malinga AKA Sri Lanka's Matheesha Pathirana. Dhoni feels that he will contribute to CSK next year.
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"Our Malinga is difficult to pick, and he'll only surely contribute for us next year." Pathirana is nicknamed Baby Malinga as his bowling action is inspired by Sri Lanka and Mumbai Indians' legend Lasith Malinga.
Mukesh Choudhary was also praised by MS. "I think the important factor is that he (Mukesh) is keen to learn quickly and after every game, he wants to improve. That's what is needed for youngsters. Next season, it shouldn't be like they are starting from scratch," said Dhoni.
The CSK skipper added, "We have done well in patches. Important thing is to do well as a team. Crucial thing is to make the most of an opportunity if you are a bowler or a batter. It's not a one-year tournament, you keep coming back year after year. Key is to keep going as a player for the next 10-12 years."
Throwing light on CSK's batting performance in the last game of IPL 2022, MS said, "I think what we need to understand is that we were playing a batter light. So when we lost those wickets, Moeen had to curb himself a bit. Role and responsibility got swapped a bit when the wickets fell. If we had lost another wicket at that point, we wouldn't have even got anything to defend. I'd say 10-15 runs short although the start is always crucial. If you don't start well, even 180 may not be enough. Overall, I'd say 15 runs short."
