What matters is keeping your calm: Dhoni's key to successful run chase

After guiding Rising Pune Supergiant to a thrilling last ball six wicket win against defending champions Sunrisers Hyderabad here on Saturday, former India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni said the key to successful run chases is staying "calm".

Dhoni, who blasted a 34-ball unbeaten 61 to take his side home on the final ball of the innings, said he doesn't take pressure of the mounting asking rate and its only about how the opposition bowlers execute and how the batsmen seize the advantage.

"There is no run-rate that is high. It boils down to how well the opposition bowlers execute. So seven, eight, nine, ten, doesn't matter. What matters is keeping your calm," said Dhoni, who was declared the man-of-the-match.

 

Hailing the way Bengal batsman Manoj Tiwary complimented him towards the end, Dhoni said: You can't always win games like this. I think we did very well. Manoj contributed, which was very important because he didn't eat too many deliveries."

Acknowledging that the chase wasn't the easiest, Dhoni said Pune could do it only because they had big hitters in the side.

"It was a difficult one. But it was important that since we had strikers in the back of the innings, it was important we take Rashid (Khan) out of the game. And one side we can hit with the breeze. One side can always hit with it," he said.

Heaping praise on the efforts of the 35-year-old stumper, Pune skipper Steve Smith said: "Got pretty close towards the end, but MS (Dhoni) did what's he's done for such a long period of time. Under pressure, he comes good again."

The six wicket win has helped Pune jump from last to the fourth spot in the IPL team standings and Smith is confident of getting up the ladder with four more home games.

"It was a 160-165 wicket, we probably didn't execute our plans as well as I thought. We batted really well, (Rahul) Tripathi at the top and MS did what he's done for such a long time. We have four games now at home and one in Mumbai and hopefully we can get up the ladder."

--IANS

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