CSK vs RCB | Always have fights with 'brother' Dwayne Bravo over slower balls, reveals MS Dhoni

09/25/2021

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After Chennai Super Kings (CSK) defeated Royal Challengers (RCB) by 6 wickets to reclaim the top spot in the 8-team IPL 2021 points table on Friday, a delighted MS Dhoni praised his players and also revealed the reason for the frequent 'fights' between him and his 'brother' Dwayne Bravo.

MS Dhoni in the post-match presentation ceremony said that Bravo's slower ones were the bone of contention between the all-rounder and him.

"Bravo has turned up fit - that's a very good thing. And he is executing well. I call him my brother. We always have fights over whether he should bowl the slower ball. But I told him that now everyone knows he bowls slower balls, so I told him to bowl six different balls in one over. Whenever he can, he takes up responsibilities," Dhoni said.

The 37-year-old bowled brilliantly in the match, spending just 24 runs in his four overs to pick three wickets including that of Virat Kohli and Glenn Maxwell.

Further MS Dhoni reflected on the conditions in Sharjah, saying that it offers the slowest surface in the UAE and the dew factor is always threatening. The talismanic leader also highlighted the importance of left-hand right-hand combination while batting at the venue.

After CSK lost two wickets at the score of 71, right-hand batsman Ambati Rayudu (32) and southpaw Moeen Ali (23) partnered for 47 runs off 30 balls to push RCB completely out of the match.

"We were worried about the dew and we saw that last season. They got off to a great start and after the eighth or ninth over, the pitch slowed down a bit. Jadeja's spell was very crucial especially with the way Padikkal was batting from one end. I told Moeen that he would bowl from one end during drinks, but then I changed my mind.

"I decided Bravo should bowl because the more you delayed him, the more difficult it was given that he'd have to bowl four straight overs in these difficult conditions. Our players have worked hard and understood their roles and responsibilities. All three grounds here are different. This one is the slowest of the lot. I felt the left-right combination here was important with the bat. We bat deep with a lot of lefties and all of them are good to bat at any position, which is why we pushed Raina and Rayudu down," MS Dhoni added.

Chennai next faces Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the day match on Sunday.