MS Dhoni avoids the media for second time in two days
Chennai super Kings' coach Stephen Fleming defended MS Dhoni for not being present as he felt that he too could represent the team.
Chennai Super Kings skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni avoided the media for the second time in two days in the wake of the spot-fixing scandal, but coach Stephen Fleming defended the captain, saying he was well known for being reclusive.
"That's his style. In this case, I can represent the team well," said Fleming replying to a query on why Dhoni did not turn up to take questions from the media at the post-match press conference.
"He does not do a lot of media, you know that. His commitments are high. That's all I can say," he added.
Earlier, on the eve of the final also, it was announced that there would be a joint press conference by the captains of both the teams (CSK and Mumbai Indians) but it was altered at the last minute and instead the teams' coaches addressed the media.
The arrest of Vindu Dara Singh, who was spotted with Dhoni's wife Sakshi during more than one matches in the IPL, had put spot-fixing shadow on Chennai Super Kings. Even team owner Gurunath Meiyappan had been arrested.
MI annexed their maiden Indian Premier League title by upstaging a jittery CSK by 23 runs in the final on Sunday night even as Dhoni fought a lone battle with an unbeaten 63.
On Dhoni coming in at number 7, Fleming said, "He has a role to play. We have key players to come in key times. You would have seen that in most of the season. He is there to win the games for us.
"We have other players to put us in position to win, they did not do that (last night). So he had to recover the situation. I'm happy with the way he batted."