Chennai Super Kings skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni blamed the lull period by his batters in the middle overs as the reason for his team’s three-run defeat to Rajasthan Royals in an IPL match here on Wednesday night. Dhoni (32 not out off 17 balls, 1x4, 3x6) could not hit a last-ball six for victory after getting his team close, with 21 needed off the last over. CSK finished on 172-6 with Dhoni unable to end his 200th game for CSK in a manner he would have wanted to on home turf.

The veteran wicketkeeper-batsman felt the fate of the match was decided between the seventh to 15th over in which Devon Conway (50 off 38 balls), Shivam Dube (eight off nine) and Moeen Ali (seven off 10) could not get going against RR spinners R Ashwin (2-25) and Yuzvendra Chahal (2-27). Chasing a target of 176 for victory, CSK were well placed at 78-1 in the 10th over, before RR’s spinners choked the CSK batters, reducing them to 113-6.