By MS Dhoni is renowned for his knack of making late entrances count, as seen in his explosive performances against Mumbai Indians and Lucknow Super Giants, where he scored 20 off four balls and 28 off nine balls, respectively. However, his innings of 37* off 16 balls against Delhi Capitals should have been the highlight, but Dhoni seemed to delay his assault, ultimately resulting in a 20-run loss for Chennai Super Kings (CSK).
In the recent match, Dhoni was not burdened with a chase, and the unfavorable pitch conditions added to the challenge. Despite CSK’s innings falling short, Dhoni’s decision not to attempt a second run after a miscued slice raised questions. Whether it was due to a lack of fitness or a belief in better utilization of the remaining deliveries remained unclear. Nonetheless, with only one six to show for it, the decision seemed unjustified.
Furthermore, Dhoni’s struggles against Rahul Chahar’s leg-breaks in an earlier over led to Moeen Ali’s dismissal, highlighting a period where Dhoni appeared out-of-touch. Chahar’s tactic of bowling wide outside the off stump exploited Dhoni’s bottom-handed batting style, limiting his access to the off-side. Arshdeep Singh employed a similar strategy in the final over, resulting in CSK managing only 16 runs off the last two overs, a rare success for the opposition against Dhoni.
Reflecting on CSK’s batting order changes, including Mitchell’s demotion to No. 8 and Sameer Rizvi’s introduction as an Impact Player over Ajinkya Rahane, it may have hindered Dhoni’s performance. Rizvi’s underwhelming contribution of 21 runs off 23 balls compounded CSK’s batting woes.
At a crucial juncture when CSK failed to hit a single boundary for 55 balls—the longest stretch this season—Dhoni’s typical reaction may have been hindered. The struggles were evident after Shivam Dube’s dismissal for a duck and Ravindra Jadeja’s cheap dismissal before the halfway mark.
CSK coach Stephen Fleming addressed the batting order decisions after their defeat, emphasizing the importance of timing and left-right batting combinations. However, despite strategic adjustments, the opposition’s spinners emerged victorious in this competition.
Courtesy: The Hindustan Times
