Dhoni helped me remain calm: Sam Billings

CHENNAI: 'Finisher' MS Dhoni often stresses on the mantra of taking the game right till the end. This approach seems to have rubbed on to the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) debutant Sam Billings. When Billings walked in to bat in the 12th over during their chase against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) here on Tuesday, he appeared collected despite the asking rate being in excess of 12. In the end, his 23-ball 56 paved the way for CSK's thrilling win.


The 26-year-old Billings revealed how Dhoni - who was at the other end - helped him to remain composed. "It was about being composed and there wasn't a better person to have at the crease than him. Dhoni is so calm and composed that it's impossible for it to not rub off on you. He (Dhoni) allows people to remain calm just like he is. It spreads around the dressing room. Along with our coach Stephen Fleming, they have both created an environment where everyone has gelled well and we have created a fantastic team culture," Billings said at the post-match conference.

He went on to add, "We showed in the first game (Dwayne Bravo's blitz) that if you take the game deep, then it's never really lost. Raina, Dhoni, Jadeja in the middle-order are big hitters. We knew no target is out of reach with this team."

Billings' blitz helped the side register their second win in as many matches this season. At the post-match presentation, Dhoni lauded Billings' knock that turned the match on its head. "We like to keep faith in our batsmen or bowlers in a particular time. Positive energy helps. It's good to see Billings bat the way he batted," he said.

Billings is keen on learning a trick or two from Dhoni on mastering the finishing skills. "You pick up once you get in. You pick up these boundaries and sixes as well. It is just a matter of playing smart. And in his whole career, he's just played it very smart and finished off more games than anyone else," said Billings.

Billings said that the inputs from Dhoni during their fourth wicket - which yielded 54 from 30 balls - were minimal. For all his big-hitting skills against the pacers, Billings was ready to push hard for twos against the KKR spinners. "He didn't really say too much. It was a matter of running hard and minimizing the dot balls. He's very fast between the wickets and that's a key part especially against quality spin. It's a matter of rotating the strike and not letting them settle," he said.

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