We keep the overs as a mark, not the batting position: Dhoni

The captain himself did not have a big role to play in the chase, though characteristically he was in the middle of the action when CSK finally squaked home. He came in when the chase was already done and at the post-match press conference dispelled theories of his batting position, which was No 4 in some key contests.

“My plan was to make Rayudu open and if Kedar (Jadhav) was fit, he will bat at 4 or 5. We keep the number of overs remaining as the mark and we decide the No. 4 batsman based on that,” he said.

Dhoni ws all praise for Man of the Match Ambati Rayudu for his big knock and the way Watson and Rayudu responded to the chase. “I thought the ball will swing more in the second half than what it did for us. The swing was not there, that was a surprise. We got off to a good start. Watson and Rayudu hit boundaries whenever there was an opportunity,” the former Indian captain reckoned.

He felt 180 against SRH would have been a tough chase. “Even before IPL started I had to make space for Rayudu, because he is somebody I rate very highly. He can play both the fast bowlers and spinners very well. Most teams look to exploit the opener with spin bowling. He is someone who doesn't look like a big hitter but almost clears the field every time he plays the big shot,” the CSK captain reasoned. Dhoni thanked the Pune crowd for its support. “The fans watch the game despite the stadium being quite far,” he said.

Rayudu said he was happy to bat as an opener. "It's a good position to bat (opening) in T20s. I am enjoying it right now. There's no secret. We are backing ourselves and communicating very well (about batting with Watson). He has been of great help to me. I was ready to open. If you are good at 4-day cricket, you can bat at any position. I am really happy to be back in the Indian team, hopefully I will do well there," he said.