Win is for Chennai fans: Billings

The English batsman said the win meant a lot to him and also the team adding it meant more to the fans who were deprived of IPL action for the last two years.

"It means a lot to me but also to the team. But probably it means more to the fans who haven't had cricket here for the last two years," Billings said. 

He also said the passion of the fans, including the presence of 10,000 for a practice game showed how much the game meant to the people here.

"We saw the passion in our practice, we had 10,000 people turn up for a practice game. It shows how much it means to people in this part of the world. Just to get across the line in the first game back was meant to be I guess. It was a great evening, a great night," he added.

The Kent batsman said it was all about being composed during such chases and there was no better person to have at the crease than skipper M S Dhoni.

"He (Dhoni) is so composed and calm. It's impossible for it not to kind of rub on to you. It was about building a partnership together. I know it's a cliche but in 20-20 cricket on these kind of wickets... it was an absolute belter (you can take your time). You are in so much of a rush all the time, actually you have got an opportunity to get yourself, run hard and gets ones and twos.”

About what Dhoni said during the partnership, the English cricketer, said he did not really say much and it was a matter of running hard and minimising the dot balls.

"It was a matter of running hard and minimizing the dot balls. He's very fast between the wickets and that's a key part especially against quality spin, it's a matter of rotating strike, not letting them settle so that was a huge part. 

"Once you get in and are busy, you pick up these boundaries and sixes as well. We know how much power we've got throughout the side. It's just a matter of playing smart cricket. And in his whole career, he's just played it smart and just finished off more games than anyone else," Billings, who was dropped early in his innings by Robin Uthappa, said.