Chennai Super Kings (CSK) legend MS Dhoni has been batting down the order for a few seasons now. Dhoni excelled at the role in the previous season but it has not paid dividends in the ongoing season so far. Dhoni coming at no.9 against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in a run chase baffled many. His former CSK teammate Robin Uthappa is still trying to wrap his head around the logic over sending Ravichandran Ashwin over Dhoni when the required run rate is slipping out of the grasp. Uthappa used expletives as he expressed his frustration on seeing Dhoni bat as a lower order batter.
"Frustrated. F*****g frustrated. What the f**k is going on, dude! He might as well have (batted even lower than No. 9). It wouldn’t have made a difference. I would say ‘befuddlement’ is too weak a term. What the heck! Like what is the thinking? Because you know you won’t win the game by the time he’s coming to bat. By the time (Ravichandran) Ashwin’s coming to bat, you know you have less than a slim chance of winning the game," Uthappa said on The KimAppa show with cricket analyst Jarrod Kimber.
"The only thing you can give yourself the best chance to do is reduce that net run rate. The margins in the IPL are so slim at the back end that you want to keep your net run rate as much in the positive as possible, right?” he added.
Dhoni walked in to bat when CSK were 99/7 in 15.2 overs. They needed 98 runs from the remaining 28 balls which was a lost cause. He only went on a full-blown attack in the final over bowler by left-arm spinner Krunal Pandya. The wicketkeeper-batter remained unbeaten for 30 off 16 balls featuring three fours and two sixes. But, CSK ended up losing the match by 50 runs.
Uthappa went on to say that Dhoni batting so low down the order does not help CSK's cause.
“What confuses me is that the asking rate was so high in the 13th and 14th over (in the game vs RCB). I was like, there’s no way MS is going to come below number eight cause at number eight, you still felt like I want the other guys to take the chunk of the workload, so if push comes to shove, I’m going to be there," said Uthappa.
"Here push came to shove and then went some more as well, and still he had turned up, and then you’re wondering what’s the thinking behind this because it doesn’t augur well for CSK," he added.
Why Dhoni's previous logic to bat down the order doesn't apply now?
Earlier, Dhoni said that he wants to bat down the order to give others a chance to make their case for India's T20I squad. However, Ashwin has retired from international cricket whereas Jadeja retired from T20Is after India's T20 World Cup 2024 triumph.
Better sense prevailed when CSK travelled to Guwahati to take on Rajasthan Royals (RR). In the run chase of 183, Dhoni walked out to bat in the 16th over at no.7 ahead of England all-rounder Jamie Overton and Ashwin. However, he could not take CSK over the line with his 11-ball 16. He was caught by Shimron Hetmyer in the final over. CSK lost the game by six runs.
Fleming says Dhoni can't bat 10 overs
After the match, CSK head coach Stephen Fleming explained that Dhoni can't bat 10 overs due to his knee issues. He went on to say that Dhoni decides where he bats and often backs other batters to do the job
“It’s a time thing. MS judges it. His body is… his knees aren’t what they used to be. And he’s moving okay, but there’s still an attrition aspect to it. He can’t bat ten overs running full stick. So he will gauge on the day what he can give us. If the game’s in the balance like today, he will go a little bit earlier, and he backs other players when other opportunities are up. So he’s balancing that,” Fleming told the reporters in post-match press conference.