“HE’S SOMEBODY WE’RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT” - MS DHONI EXPLAINS WHY THIS CRICKETER DIDN’T PLAY FOR CSK!

Captain Dhoni explains why CSK youngster Rajvardhan Hangargekar was not given a chance in the match against the Rajasthan Royals yesterday.

The 68th league match of the IPL series was played at the Mumbai Stadium yesterday. Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals played their last league match. CSK won the toss and elected to bat first, scoring 150 for 6 in 20 overs.

All-rounder Moeen Ali top-scored with 93. For Rajasthan, Chahal and Obed McCoy took 2 wickets each while Ashwin and Trent Boult took 1 wicket each. Batting next, Rajasthan won by 151 runs for the loss of 5 wickets in 19.4 overs. Jaiswal top-scored with 59 and Ashwin with 40.

In this situation, before the match, captain Dhoni was asked why Rajvardhan Hangargekar was not given a chance in a single match in the current IPL season. Responding to this he said, ‘He’s somebody who bowls good length and bowls at a decent pace, gets a bit of bounce but it is important to give them the time to improve in other areas as well.'

"You want to groom players but also give them enough opportunity to prepare and then get into the deeper side. He’s somebody we’re really excited about. He’s strong but there are certain areas we want him to improve.”

In the recently concluded Under-19 World Cup series, Rajvardhan put on a stellar performance. At the crucial moment he played responsibly in both batting and bowling. So, CSK team auctioned him for Rs 1.50 crore in the IPL.

The 8th Behindwoods Gold Medals Awards will be held this year on May 21 and 22 at the Island Ground in Chennai Island from 6pm to 11.30pm.