The Chennai Super Kings return to action on Sunday afternoon when they take on the Punjab Kings in the 2023 Indian Premier League match in Chennai. The side has produced consistent performances in this season and is currently ranked fourth in the table with five wins in eight matches; Mahendra Singh Dhoni's men share the same points as the second and third-placed sides, but are behind in terms of the Net Run Rate (NRR).
While the impressive outings from their opening duo Ruturaj Gaikwad and Devon Conway, as well as the bowlers have been crucial to CSK's consistency, MS Dhoni's captaincy, right from the start of the season – unlike in the previous year – has undoubtedly been the differential factor for the franchise. This year, Dhoni has also produced strong performances with the bat whenever he got the chance; the 41-year-old has a strike rate of nearly 200 while batting at no.8.
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However, in the side's previous game against Rajasthan Royals, Dhoni didn't promote himself in the order even as CSK needed consistent boundaries to chase down a 203-run target in Jaipur. The side eventually lost by 32 runs as the CSK skipper didn't get to bat. While many argued that Dhoni should've batted, former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar believes that the wicketkeeper-batter knows his “limitations.”
“MS Dhoni is a clever cricketer. He knows his limitations. We are seeing a new avatar of him this season. Earlier he used to manage the team, this year, he's also managing himself,” Manjrekar told Star Sports.
{{/usCountry}}“MS Dhoni is a clever cricketer. He knows his limitations. We are seeing a new avatar of him this season. Earlier he used to manage the team, this year, he's also managing himself,” Manjrekar told Star Sports.
{{/usCountry}}This year, Shivam Dube has also put out strong performances in the season. The INR 4 crore buy has scored 236 runs for the side in 8 matches so far, hitting at a brilliant strike rate of 157.33.
"Shivam Dube has range and power. He's tall and he can easily hit sixes just by standing in his place, which makes him a dangerous batter. He's been given the license from the skipper to just go out there and explode," Shastri said to Star Sports about the India star.