New Delhi,UPDATED: Apr 27, 2023 07:32 IST
By India Today Sports Desk: Former England batter Kevin Pietersen has advised young batters to take a leaf out of MS Dhoni’s chasing mantra on how to finish matches in the future, saying that if you are chasing a total of 200, you must take the game deep.
Pietersen’s remarks came after RCB batters faltered in the 201-run chase and lost the home game to KKR by 21 runs on Wednesday.
RCB vs KKR: REPORT | HIGHLIGHTS
Chasing 201, RCB got off to a flier with 30 for loss in two overs before Faf du Plessis (17) got out to a wrong one from Suyash Sharma, while Glenn Maxwell (5) also fell cheaply. Virat Kohli (54) led their run chase before being caught at the deep midwicket boundary with Venkatesh Iyer taking a stunning diving catch. In the end, RCB managed 179/8 and lost to KKR.
CSK Captain MS Dhoni’s chasing mantra is one of the most talked about tactics in the cricketing world. Dhoni’s chasing mantra is that the finisher tries to take the game deep, target weak bowlers, not panic, punish poor deliveries and respect the opponent.
“When you are chasing 200, you have got to take the game deep. How many times does MS Dhoni, the king of the chase, always used to say take the game deep, get to the 18th over, 19th over, 20th over,” Pietersen said while speaking on Star Sports after the RCB vs KKR match.
Pietersen further added that young batters are trying to chase down a total of 200 in the 12th or the 13th over and not thinking of taking the game deep. The former English skipper pointed out that Virat Kohli was trying to follow Dhoni’s chasing mantra but unfortunately he got out due to a stunning fielding effort by Venkatesh Iyer.
“What’s happening now in the chase, these guys are seeing 200 and they are trying to win it in the 12th or the 13th over. The bowlers are under tremendous pressure and I think that’s what Virat Kohli was trying to do this evening. Unfortunately, he got caught by a spectacular catch. That’s the nature of the game,” Pietersen added.
