MS Dhoni heaps praise on Shivam Dube after CSK beat RCB in IPL 2023

MS Dhoni heaped praise on Shivam Dube who played a key role in the middle overs as Chennai Super Kings (CSK) defeated Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 on Monday.

Dube struck five sixes and two fours as he scored 52 off 27 deliveries. He put up 80 runs with Devon Conway for the third wicket as CSK went on to put 226 runs on the board in 20 overs.

Speaking about Dube at the post-match presentation, Dhoni admitted that the batter is talented enough to score some extra runs in the middle order and Dube needs to believe in it more than the rest of the team.

"He [Dube] is someone who can hit very cleanly. He has an issue with the fast bowlers but he's a clean hitter against the spinners. We had certain plans for him but once he arrived for our camp, he was injured. So we couldn't do a lot of work. We feel that he's somebody who can deliver and who can get those extra runs in the middle overs. He needs to believe in that more than us. We know he has the talent, but once you cross the boundary ropes into the field you are on your own," added Dhoni.

"When you come to Bangalore, you know it's a good wicket. Early part of IPL you get a lot of dew. You want to start well and then alter whatever is there in your mind. It was slightly tacky to start off. It's important to go through that and then look to accelerate. We kept it simple and tried to get as much as possible in the second half of the game.

"Whenever you score 220, the batsmen need to keep on hitting. If Faf and Maxi had continued, they would have won it by the 18th over. I keep assessing from behind the wicket, I am always involved in what needs to be done rather than thinking about the result. (Death overs) It is a difficult one for the youngsters, specially at this time of the year with the dew around. But they are working hard. Bravo is one of the specialists. Under him, the bowlers will gain confidence. It's a team game. The coach, the bowling coach and the senior players guide them," Dhoni said further.

Meanwhile, Conway stuck around at the crease for a long time as he architected CSK's innings at Chinnaswamy Stadium on Monday. After CSK lost Ruturaj Gaikwad early in the innings, Conway put up 74 runs with Ajinkya Rahane before building the crucial stand with Dube.

Makes it better to have Dhoni on your side: Conway

After receiving the Player of the Match, Conway said that his recipe is simple: he just "tries to play good cricket shots."

"Very happy with the way things went tonight. I didn't quite hit the straps in the first few games. Good win for us as a group. My recipe is quite simple - try and play good cricket shots. When I'm under pressure, just try and react and take options that are best for me.

"I don't want to be too predictable. Just using my crease to try and put bowlers off their lengths. My second year playing for CSK, it's been special. The support is phenomenal, they are loyal as well. Makes it a lot better when you have MS Dhoni in your team too. We are really grateful," added Conway.