CSK coach Sriram Sridharan revealed a long chat between MS Dhoni and Noor Ahmad inspired the spinner's match-winning 3/21 spell against KKR in IPL 2026. Noor's performance, which won him POTM, helped CSK win by 32 runs.
Chennai Super Kings (CSK) assistant bowling coach Sriram Sridharan revealed that veteran MS Dhoni had a long chat with spinner Noor Ahmad before the latter delivered a match-winning performance against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in Tuesday's Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 clash.
Noor Ahmed bowled a match-winning spell of 3/21 for Chennai Super Kings, helping them win by 32 runs. Noor won the Player of the Match (POTM) award for his performance.
While chasing 193 runs, KKR was 79/2 at one point, riding on the momentum of a 50-run stand between the skipper Ajinkya Rahane and Angkrish Raghuvanshi. However, a fine spell from Noor, which removed Rahane, Cameron Green and Rinku Singh in quick succession, derailed KKR's chase and left them restricted at 160/7.
CSK managed their second successive win of the season after the first three matches ended in losses.
Dhoni's advice was 'really helpful'
Speaking at the post-match presentation, Sriram Sridharan revealed that Dhoni had a long discussion with Noor, asking him to bowl leg breaks, something that helped the bowler deliver against KKR.
"Even MS (Dhoni) had a long chat with him (Noor) in one of the practice sessions, getting his leg breaks to go. It was really helpful today, and the results were there to show," he added.
Spin twins complement each other
Akeal Hosein complemented Noor very well, sharing four wickets between them and conceding just 56 runs in their combined eight overs. Their disciplined spell regularly broke partnerships and put pressure on the KKR batting lineup.
Sridharan praised the strong understanding between Akeal Hosein and Noor Ahmad, highlighting their good communication and teamwork. He noted that Akeal helped guide Noor on the right lengths to bowl during the match.
"They complement each other very well. Both communicate with each other well, and they've got a very good understanding between them. I think today [Tuesday], Akeal was the one who went and told Noor about the length that he needed to bowl. He [Noor] bowled a bit short in the first over, but once he found that in-between length, he was unplayable," he said in the post-match press conference.
How the match unfolded
Asked to bat first by KKR, CSK put 192/5 in 20 overs, with Sanju Samson (48 in 32 balls, with four boundaries and three sixes) and Dewald Brevis (41 in 29 balls, with four fours and two sixes) playing standout knocks and Kartik Tyagi (2/35) being a standout bowler.
During the chase, KKR was reduced to 29/2 and was in contention with a 50-run stand between skipper Ajinkya Rahane (28 in 22 balls, with two sixes) and Angkrish Raghuvanshi (27 in 19 balls, with three fours and a six). However, a game-changing spell from Noor Ahmed sank KKR to 90/6, and they ended their innings at 160/7.
KKR is still winless, having lost four and one no result, sitting at the bottom of the table. CSK has climbed to eighth spot in the points table, with four points.
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