MS Dhoni’s batting position in the ongoing Indian Premier League 2024 (IPL 2024) has created quite a stir. While the former India captain has played a number of useful cameos for the Chennai Super Kings this season, his decision to face just a handful of balls has drawn criticism from him.
In the last game against the Punjab Kings, Chennai Super Kings were 101 for 5 in the 13th over and 122 for 6 in the 16th over. While not many expected MS Dhoni to come out to bat in the 13th over, was His decision not to play in the 16th over as well baffled many.
He finally came out to bat at number nine in the 19th over. Unlike the previous games, MS Dhoni failed to get going against the Punjab Kings as Harshal Patel sent him off for a golden duck. After the failure, not only the fans but also several experts criticized the former Indian captain for his decision.
Veteran India and IPL wicketkeeper-batsman’s former teammate Harbhajan Singh even went to the extent of saying that he shouldn’t play if he wants to bat as low as number nine. Harbhajan opined that it would be a better option for CSK to have a pacer instead of MS Dhoni batting at number nine.
“MS Dhoni should not play if he wants to bat at number 9. It is better to include another fast bowler than him in the XI. He is the decision maker and he disappointed his team by not coming out to bat.” said Harbhajan Singh on Star Sports.
“Shardul Thakur came before him. He can never hit shots like Dhoni. I don’t understand why Dhoni made this mistake. Nothing happens without his permission, and I’m not ready to accept that someone else has decided to demote him. he added.
Former IPL official’s theory on MS Dhoni’s decision:
While MS Dhoni has faced criticism from several quarters over his batting position in IPL 2024, a recent report states that the former India captain is once again battling injuries. The former CSK captain has a torn muscle in his leg which prevents him from running on the field for too long.
As a result, MS Dhoni faced only a handful of deliveries on each occasion. He also faced a similar situation last year when he played the entire season with a knee injury. Amid all this, Joy Bhattacharjya, former team manager of Kolkata Knight Riders, has come up with a theory to explain the reason why Dhoni is playing this season despite injury.
“Here is my Dhoni theory. He continues to play with his torn muscle for his two most important constituencies, his fans and his team. The part about saying goodbye to his fans across the country is obvious. What we may be missing is why he chooses to continue playing for the team,” Joy Bhattacharjya wrote on X.
“Conway is injured which means the only other goalkeeper in their squad is young Aravelly Avanish, who is certainly a long way from his first eleven duties. Dhoni also probably wants to give Ruturaj just enough support to make sure the transition goes smoothly this time. “Next year is the big auction and if he goes through with it this year, they will go in with plenty of money and a young core.” he added.
Here is my Dhoni theory. He continues to play with his torn hamstring for his two most important constituents, his fans and his team.
The part about saying goodbye to his fans across the country is obvious. What we may be missing is why he chooses to continue playing for the team.
Conway is…— Joy Bhattacharjya (@joybhattacharj) May 7, 2024