MS Dhoni faces flak for playing a role in CSK’s defeat against SRH
MS Dhoni can still hit the ball miles away, and he showed his hitting zone in the IPL 204 game against Delhi Capitals. Although CSK lost the game, the former captain slammed 37 off 16 balls, laced with 4 fours and 3 sixes. However, he has a habit of holding himself back despite the team needing some quick runs.
In the latest match against Sunrisers Hyderabad, he came out to bat in the last over of CSK’s innings and faced just two balls to score one run. Former India players were not pleased with the move. Although they didn’t criticize him directly, his decision was questioned.
Earlier in the day, Ambati Rayudu claimed that Dhoni could promote himself in the batting order whenever he wanted and that he didn’t need permission from the current captain, Ruturaj Gaikwad. However, this didn’t happen, although the batters struggled to hit boundaries.
Dhoni preferred staying back in the dressing room, and when he finally came out, it was late for the visiting franchise. Former players Harbhajan Singh, Mohammad Kaif, Rayudu, and Kris Srikkanth spoke about Dhoni’s call.
“Dhoni should have come out to bat before Daryl Mitchell. The New Zealand batter is playing his first IPL season, and he doesn’t know how to keep the scoreboard ticking. Dhoni has enough experience of such conditions as they play on the same tracks in Chennai. Dhoni could have easily hit fours and sixes had he come early,”‘ Kris Srikkanth said.
Rayudu seemed unhappy with his former teammate. “Dhoni should have been there in the middle in the 18th over of the innings. He knows the conditions well and what is required to score runs on slow tracks,” he said.
Harbhajan and Kaif agreed with the former cricketers. “The score would have reached 180 or 185 had Dhoni entered the field early on. The additions of 15-20 runs to the total would have made a huge difference,” Harbhajan Singh said.
“Dhoni has been playing on such surfaces for years, and he has the skill set to score runs in such conditions. He should have faced more balls to take CSK to a challenging total,” Mohammad Kaif said.
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