IPL not to blame for India exit: Dhoni
India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni insisted it was wrong to blame the Indian Premier League (IPL) for his side's failure to reach the semifinals of the World Twenty20.
Sri Lanka qualified for the World Twenty20 semifinals after their five-wicket last ball win over India and Australia's six-wicket victory against the West Indies combined to send them into the last four here on Tuesday.
Chamara Kapugedera's six off the final ball saw Sri Lanka to a dramatic win after man-of-the-match Angelo Mathews and captain Kumar Sangakkara both made 46 to revive the innings after a top-order collapse. Sri Lanka, last year's losing finalists, will now face England in Thursday's first semifinal.
India – who lost all their Super Eights matches – had to win by at least 20 runs to keep their own slim semi-final hopes alive.
Having made 163 for five, that meant restricting Sri Lanka to 143 or under. But their hopes of doing that ended when Kapugedera struck Vinay Kumar a full toss for six off the penultimate ball of the 19th over, a shot that knocked India out of the tournament.
Kapugedera repeated the dose next ball and Sri Lanka needed 13 to win off the last over. Mathews put them in sight by smashing the first ball of the 20th over, from left-arm quick Ashish Nehra for six.
But he was run out off the fifth ball going for a single by bowler Nehra's direct hit, having faced 37 balls with three sixes and two fours. However, with three needed off the last ball, Kapugedera carved Nehra over cover for six to finish on 37 not out.
However, Dhoni fought shy of suggestions his players were suffering IPL-induced fatigue. "If you take care of yourself, 45 days of cricket shouldn't affect you because we play 200 or more in a year," the wicketkeeper/ batsman told reporters at the Beausejour Stadium.
"I've had no setbacks because of the IPL but at the same time players need to be smart because IPL is not only about cricket. You have to respect your body and if you don't do that then the IPL is draining," he added. And Dhoni said the IPL had been beneficial to the development of several young India players.
"If you see the kind of players we have got in the past three years, Suresh Raina, Rohit Sharma, Ravindra Jadeja, we have players who have done well in the IPL and come in for India. The IPL really has helped us to groom youngsters."
Dhoni was at a loss to explain the form of a team which looked well-placed to challenge for the title.