How MS Dhoni's advice turned CSK's Urvil Patel into an IPL record breaker
Urvil Patel said a dressing-room conversation with MS Dhoni helped him reset before his 13-ball fifty against LSG. The knock powered CSK past LSG and doubled as a tribute to his father, who told him to bat freely.
CSK's Urvil Patel revealed the chat he had with MS Dhoni and the advice the legendary wicketkeeper gave him as he became an IPL record-breaker during the clash against LSG. Urvil scored the joint-fastest fifty in the history of the competition when he reached the landmark at the Chepauk in just 13 balls.
During the madness against LSG, Urvil was able to hit five sixes in a row as CSK powered to the win on the back of his blistering knock of 65 off 23 balls. Urvil had often got starts for CSK, scoring 24 off 12 against MI and 17 off 9 against DC but was unable to convert them.
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The Gujarat batter quickly turned to Dhoni for assistance. Speaking to the IPL's website, Urvil said that Dhoni told him that there was no doubt in his abilities and it was just a mental block for him.
The 27-year-old said that Dhoni told him to just try and target the right balls to the right areas.
"After getting out in the last two matches, I sat with Mahi bhai in the dressing room and asked him, ‘Brother, I’m getting starts but getting out. What should I do to convert them?’ Bhai told me just one thing — ‘I don’t have any doubt about your skills. Whatever doubt there is, it’s only in your mind. Just stay clear mentally and try to hit the right ball to the right areas.’" said Urvil.
'ALWAYS PLAYED FOR MY FATHER'
After reaching the landmark, Urvil made a special dedication to his father during the celebration. The CSK batter revealed that his dad is a fan of his big-hitting and kept telling him not to worry about getting big scores despite the starts he was getting.
"I was getting good starts but then getting out. My father was the only one telling me, ‘Son, I really enjoy the way you are batting. Just keep playing like this. Whether you score runs or not doesn’t matter to me.’ I have always played for my father. He kept telling me, ‘Play freely, we don’t want anything from you. We are happy just because you are here.’" said Urvil.
CSK will now face LSG in the reverse fixture on Friday, May 15.
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