"Nursing a knee injury" - Stephen Fleming on what is hindering MS Dhoni

MS Dhoni is nursing a knee injury, reveals CSK head coach Stephen Fleming.

Chennai Super Kings head coach Stephen Fleming has thrown light on skipper MS Dhoni's struggles, claiming that the keeper-batter has a knee injury. However, the former New Zealand captain iterated that his fitness regime has been professional despite not being an international cricketer.

Dhoni, 41, almost carried the Super Kings to an improbable victory against the Rajasthan Royals on Wednesday at the Chepauk. The Ranchi-born cricketer clobbered two sixes off two balls against Sandeep Sharma in the final over before the right-arm seamer held his nerve to win the game for his side. Dhoni stayed unbeaten at 32 off 17 deliveries.

Speaking at a post-match press conference, here's what Fleming revealed about the veteran cricketer:

"He (Dhoni) is nursing a knee injury, which you can see in some of his movement, hindering him somewhat. His fitness has been professional. He comes in months before the tournament starts. He does some nets in Ranchi, but his main pre-season is a month before he comes to Chennai."

The former Indian captain walked into the middle when the Super Kings required 63 off the final five overs. He began his onslaught against leg-spinner Adam Zampa, but could not get the job done.

"We stuttered through the middle period" - Stephen Fleming

Speaking about the run-chase, Fleming admitted that the Yellow Brigade could've batted better during the middle-overs, but credited the Royals' experienced spinners for putting them under pressure.

"We saw it today, we were a long way behind. We stuttered through the middle period, and it took some pretty good hitting in the end to get us close. So, that is not how you want to chase. But they bowled well, they have world-class spinners. We were also unsure about what effect the dew will have on the pitch. Every year it changes. And today we came up against a team that is pretty well matched for us. It was a good contest."

The Super Kings will next face the Royal Challengers Bangalore on Monday at the Chinnaswamy Stadium.