"Important is try and qualify, but if not..": Dhoni reveals what's next for CSK if playoff chances slip away

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], April 21 (ANI): Captain MS Dhoni assured that despite the odds stacked against them, Chennai Super Kings will try to take a shot at the playoffs. However, in a scenario where the five-time champions fail to breach the Top 4 standings, Dhoni identified the next steps, which revolve around building a "secured" eleven and bouncing back in the next edition of the Indian Premier League.
The myth bubble surrounding Chennai's dominance before the season burst open after the Super Kings suffered their sixth defeat in eight fixtures. In the clash between two heavyweights on Sunday, Mumbai Indians comprehensively trounced Chennai in their home den with an emphatic nine-wicket victory at the Wankhede Stadium.
After being put to bat, Chennai enjoyed success in patches but lacked the firepower to cross the 200-run mark, a standard total considering the high-scoring nature of Wankhede Stadium. In their trifling attempts to defend the total, Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav decimated Chennai's spin threat to stamp their authority with a resounding nine-wicket triumph with more than four overs to spare.
With CSK, a sitting duck at the bottom of the table with four points and a negative net run rate of 1.392, Chennai need to pull a rabbit out of the hat to push their case for featuring in the playoffs. Dhoni emphasised the need to take one game at a time to stay alive in the race for the playoffs.
"What we need to realise is that we are successful because we play good cricket, and at the same time, when we are not playing good cricket, what is important is not to get too emotional about it, and at the same time, you want to be practical," Dhoni said after the match.
Dhoni weighed in on the scenario where Chennai fell short of expectations and concluded their campaign in the group stage, stating that they should focus on finding the right combination for next year.
"Other than that, we are just trying to plug in the holes. With all the games that are in front of us that we are supposed to win, we just take it one game at a time, and if we lose a few, what will be important for us is to get the right combination for next year. You don't want too many players getting changed. What will be important is to try and qualify, but if not, get a secured 11 for next year and come back strong," he added.
Chennai, who have toiled hard with the bat throughout the season, found solace in the performance of their youngest debutant, Ayush Mahtre. The Mumbai batter played a flashy cameo at the Wankhede with his sizzling 32 from 15 deliveries and provided the much-needed impetus in Chennai's innings.
He unleashed a relentless onslaught on Mumbai's young seamer Ashwani Kumar and seasoned Deepak Chahar to get things moving for Chennai in the powerplay. After his dismissal, Shivam Dube and Ravindra Jadeja upped the ante with their blistering half-centuries to take Chennai closer to the 200-run mark.
Dube, who was more proactive among the duo, lost his wicket to Mumbai's ace in the hole, Jasprit Bumrah, in the 17th over. Dhoni stepped in to increase the run flow but floundered under the pressure. In the end, Chennai folded on 176/5, and Dhoni just felt they should have started slogging earlier than they had, especially when Bumrah's threat was looming around the corner in the death overs.
"I think we were quite below because we all knew that dew would come in the second half, and we were in a position to exploit the middle overs, and I just felt that Bumrah being one of the best death bowlers in the world right now, I felt once they started their death bowling early, that was the time we should have capitalised and started our slog slightly early, and after that even Bumrah also goes for runs it's a plus point, I think there were a few overs there we could have got slightly more runs. We needed those runs because 175 with the dew around is not a par score," he said.
"I think as a youngster (Ayush Mhatre) he batted really well, and that's the kind of approach that is needed where you play your shots, and at the same time you pick your shots that is your strength, and I feel right from the start, he went and played his shots, and we also haven't seen him much. So, it is a good sign for us at the top of the order that if he can keep playing the shots, it will become slightly easier for the middle and lower order," he added. (ANI)