IPL 2018 | MS Dhoni has been playing smart throughout his career, claims Sam Billings

The Super Kings' return to the Indian Premier League has been nothing short of a fairytale so far, with two wins in two matches the ‘yellow brigade’ are being touted as one of the favorites to lift the trophy this time around as well. The key to their success lies in their leader - MS Dhoni. The undisputable king of Chennai, Dhoni’s calm and composed attitude has drawn him recognition from teammates and opponents alike.

Last night’s match-winner for the home team, English batsman Sam Billings too heaped praise on the skipper as he said that the world cup-winning captain had been playing smart all throughout his career.

"He didn't really say too much. It was a matter of running hard and minimizing the dot balls. He's very fast between the wickets and that's a key part especially against quality spin, it's a matter of rotating strike, not letting them settle so that was a huge part. 

"Once you get in and are busy, you pick up these boundaries and sixes as well. We know how much power we've got throughout the side. It's just a matter of playing pretty smart. And in his whole career, he's just played it very smart and just finished off more games than anyone else," Billings said in his post-match interview.

CSK made their return to Chepauk after a period of more than two years, and the crowd in the stadium last night couldn’t have asked for a better end to the game than they actually witnessed. Billings dedicated the victory to the fans as he said that they were the ones who deserved the win for backing the team through the harsh times.

"It means a lot to me but also to the team. But probably it means more to the fans who haven't had cricket here for the last two years," Billings said. "We saw the passion in our practice, we had 10000 people rock up for a practice game. It shows how much it means to people in this part of the world. Just to get across the line in the first game back was meant to be I guess. It was a great evening, a great night," Billings added.