Strange Feeling To Play At Empty Stadiums: CSK Coach

As the Indian Premier League (IPL) began behind closed doors amid the coronavirus pandemic, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) head coach Stephen Fleming said although it was strange playing with no crowd, the players managed to cope with the situation really well.

The 13th edition of the IPL commenced on Saturday, with CSK playing against Mumbai Indians (MI) in the opening match. The MS Dhoni-led CSK made a winning start in the tournament, defeating their opponents by five wickets.

“It was strange for a lot of us to play in front of no crowd, especially when you got two teams like these who were last season’s finalists. I think we coped with it pretty well and players were really focused on what they did,” Fleming said in the post-match press conference.

After being asked to bat first, Mumbai Indians managed to put a total of 162 runs in their allotted 20 overs. Although CSK made a poor start to their innings, losing two wickets in the first two overs, the team managed to register a win.

It was Faf du Plessis and Ambati Rayudu’s half-centuries which propelled the team to a five-wicket win. Sam Curran also played his part in the chase, scoring 18 runs from just six balls.

Praising the players, Fleming said, “Sam Curran’s performance today was outstanding… Rayudu has been nothing short of fantastic and again today he turned the game around. His experience and skill set played a major part in our win today.”

The IPL is being played in the UAE with several guidelines and protocols in place to safeguard players amid the pandemic. Fleming stressed that the team which will be able to adapt to different conditions quickly will progress in the tournament.

“The teams that will adapt to different conditions and get the right balance and play accordingly will be there towards the end,” he said. (ANI)