IPL 2018: Stephen Fleming reveals the reasons behind Dhoni's rich vein of form

MS Dhoni has been in jaw-dropping form in this season’s Indian Premier League (IPL). The veteran has notched 413 runs in 12 matches at a stupendous average of 103.25. Moreover, he has scored them at a strike-rate of 162.59 and has also racked up 29 sixes. He faltered in the opening match against the Mumbai Indians (MI) and was nipped out cheaply by Mayank Markande.

He couldn’t make an impact either in the encounter against the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the Chepauk. However, he came back with a swashbuckling knock of 79 not out against the Kings XI Punjab (KXIP). Albeit, the masterclass couldn’t take the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) to victory, he was showered with accolades for his determination and grit to not drop the gun during a crisis situation.

He hasn’t looked back ever since and has gone from strength to strength as the tournament has progressed. The 36-year old has won matches for the franchises single-handedly and has been in a league of his own with the willow.

“He practised hard”- Stephen Fleming on Dhoni

The confidence has also shown in his leadership skills as Chennai are currently sitting in the second place of the points table. Recently, Stephen Fleming, the head coach of CSK revealed the reasons behind Dhoni’s run-churning spree and the approach he has employed on the cricket pitch.

“Probably mentally more intent, he practised hard before the tournament. He practised a long time, got in before any of us arrived. He had a lot of balls, had a huge volume of balls, been concentrated on his intent,” Fleming was quoted as saying post-CSK’s victory against the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at the Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) Stadium in Pune.

“If anything, he has probably lacked intent around his singles. (But) As soon as he hits (big shots), he plays with a 100% commitment. Even the way he starts now is very positive, his footwork is very positive, his finishing has come into the zone again. So it’s been great to watch, a lot of hard work to get there and I admire him for doing that,” Fleming added.

Here is MS Dhoni’s journey

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