IPL 2026: MS Dhoni influence behind Noor Ahmad match-winning spell against Kolkata Knight Riders

Chennai: Spinner Noor Ahmad's match-winning spell against Kolkata Knight Riders followed a lengthy conversation with Chennai Super Kings icon M S Dhoni in the nets.

The left-arm wrist spinner from Afghanistan ended with figures of three for 21 in four overs, accounting for wickets of Ajinkya Rahane, Rinku Singh and Cameron Green in the middle overs to set up CSK's 32-run win.

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Up till Monday night, Noor was yet to make an impact in the ongoing tournament, having taken a solitary wicket in four games.

On a pitch offering little bit of help, Noor was able to get on top of the batters. He got rid of Green with a quicker one into the stumps that the Australia failed to connect.

CSK assistant coach Sridharan Sriram spoke about the work Noor had put heading into the game and the chat with Dhoni, who has not been in action yet this season due to a calf strain.

"I think it was good, the wicket helped today, there was a little bit of boredom for him. The other wickets were quite flat. Today, he was a little bit slower through the air. There was more side spin on the ball, and there was more drop. So that's something he's been working on.

"Even MS had a long chat with him during one of the practice sessions, getting him to bowl more leg break. So I think it was very helpful today and the results were there to show," said Sriram at the post-match press conference.

Sriram stressed on the importance of getting deviation off the pitch for spinners.

"I think to be able to get some deviation off the surface is very important. I think that is what he's been working on. Everybody accepts there are going to be days when the wickets are going to be very flat.

"But still looking to be aggressive, putting revs on the ball and getting the ball to spin will definitely help him a lot, and that's where you can induce mistakes. Because once you start to get defensive, then the batters are going to get on top of you," he said.

Sriram also touched upon the chemistry between West Indian spinner Akeal Hosein and Noor.

"I think they complement each other very well. They both communicate with each other very well as well. They have a good understanding of camaraderie between them. Today, actually, Akeal was the one who went and told Noor about the exact length. That in-between length that he needed to bowl.

"In his first over, it was either a bit short or a touch full. But then, once he found that in-between length, I think Noor was relatively unplayable. Credit to Akeal as well because I was a part of that conversation in the strategic timeout where Akeal was telling Noor about that in-between length where the ball was just holding enough.

"And hitting down the ground was not that easy," Sriram added.