IPL 2023: CSK suffers Ben Stokes-MS Dhoni injury scare; Stephen Fleming gives encouraging update

Former four-time champion Chennai Super Kings (CSK) head coach Stephen Fleming has allayed concerns around captain MS Dhoni's injury but said all-rounder Ben Stokes would remain on the sidelines for another week. Stokes played only the first two games for CSK this IPL season before being ruled out of the match against former five-time record champion Mumbai Indians (MI) on April 8 with a toe injury. Stokes has so far missed four games.

"Ben Stokes has suffered an injury setback and will be out for a week. Stokes, just a setback, I'm not going to go into it, but it's not major. It's just that he's close. He's working hard to get it right. I can't fault that at all. So, he needs a little bit of luck," Fleming said at the post-match press conference after CSK beat former champion SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) by seven wickets at the MA Chidambaram (Chepauk) Stadium in Chennai on Friday night.

CATCH ALL IPL 2023 UPDATES HERE

Fleming said Dhoni has been "managing his injury well", and there is no concern with him. "MS is excellent. He is managing his injury well. He is available. He always keeps the team first. He would have sat out if he knew he couldn't contribute because of injury. There is no concern with him," Fleming said.

Fleming said Dhoni doesn't get enough credit for his work behind the stumps, calling him an "absolute craftsman" there. "It's a natural talent. I don't think he gets enough credit for his keeping, but, to be honest, he is an absolute craftsman, an absolute masterclass behind the stumps, and often goes unnoticed with all the things he does," the CSK head coach added.

ALSO READ: Is IPL 2023 the 'last phase' of MS Dhoni's career?

Batters could have done better: Lara
SRH head coach Brian Lara felt his players could have done better with their shot selection in the middle overs. "When we went out to that strategic time out, that was the discussion. It was a little bit slow, with a little spin, so it was difficult for the batters. Shot selection could have been different in those middle-overs. But, we will move on from here," he told reporters.

Lara credited the CSK bowlers and said they performed brilliantly. "They bowled well. Credit has to be given. Also, the likes of Theekshana and Jadeja are the guys who don't give you time to use your feet. Sometimes, playing across the line could be difficult."

ALSO READ: IPL 2023 - Ravindra Jadeja-Devon Conway show keeps CSK going with 7-wicket win over SRH

He said about the team's performance with the bat, "As an individual, a batter and a coach, you have got to put your hands up if things are not working, and I'm hoping when we look back at the performance... We have mature players who understand they are not doing well, and the team comes first. We are not going to press the panic button," he added.

Speaking about Harry Brook opening the innings, Lara revealed, "The experiment of trying to get Harry Brook up the order and produce a 100 and if you would ask what team we would want to have at the beginning of the tournament... You can see he (Harry Brook) has intention."

ALSO READ: IPL 2023, MI vs PBKS - Mumbai Indians eager to get momentum going against Punjab Kings

When asked about Washington Sundar's batting, Lara said, "Washington's value to the team is both to bowl and bat, but we have players who can play at the top positions. With Washington, yes, we want him to be a great all-rounder with both bat and ball. I think it's going to take time."