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MS Dhoni's batting position has once again sparked debate in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL), especially after CSK's recent defeat against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) on March 28. CSK faced a tough defeat at their home ground in Chepauk, losing to RCB by a margin of 50 runs. This was CSK's biggest defeat in IPL history at their own fortress at the MA Chidambaram stadium. While the match did feature an entertaining unbeaten cameo from MS Dhoni, the fact that he came in to bat as low as number 9 left many fans frustrated with the team's batting order strategy.
Sanjay Manjrekar on MS Dhoni's batting order
The former CSK captain yet again proved his finishing prowess with a quickfire 30 runs off just 16 balls riding on three boundaries and two sixes. However, his efforts came too late in the innings, as CSK could only manage to reach 146 runs for the loss of 8 wickets in their 20 overs, falling well short of the 197-run target set by RCB.
Meanwhile, right ahead of CSK's IPL 2025 clash against Rajasthan Royals (RR) on March 30, former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar shared his analysis of MS Dhoni's current role within the CSK setup and explained the reason behind his lower batting order in IPL 2025. Interestingly, Manjrekar suggested that at this stage, Dhoni's primary contribution to the team isn't necessarily about scoring runs, but rather lies in his immense 'brand value'.
"I will look at the larger picture. If you look at this year and even last year, Dhoni is playing more as a brand than as a player. When they select the playing XI, they don't pick an extra batter because MS is there. MS Dhoni is a bonus for them. He has a different role,” he said, as quoted by Hindustan Times.
“That's why I think if MS Dhoni is playing and batting so late, he should be the captain. He is doing great as a wicketkeeper, but he would contribute more as captain. Right now, he is being under-utilised,” Manjrekar added.
After guiding Chennai Super Kings to title triumph in IPL 2023 , MS Dhoni stepped down from his role as captain ahead of the 2024 season, handing over the leadership to the opening batsman Ruturaj Gaikwad. However, despite relinquishing the captaincy, Dhoni continues to be a central figure within the playing XI, particularly when it comes to making decisions related to the Decision Review System (DRS) or offering valuable advice to Gaikwad regarding appeals on the field.
It will be interesting to see Dhoni's batting position in the clash against RR. Talking about the match, CSK won the toss and elected to bowl first. RR rode on Nitish Rana's 81-run knock to post a challenging total of 182/9. For CSK, the troika of Khaleel Ahmed, Matheesha Pathirana and Noor Ahmad chipped in with two wickets each.
