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'In playoffs, he might do that': Eoin Morgan drops colossal 'MS Dhoni' prediction, gives verdict on Russell's form

By, New Delhi
Apr 13, 2023 11:31 AM IST

The former England captain spoke in detail about MS Dhoni's batting performances in IPL 2023.

Chennai Super Kings captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni is aging like a fine wine. After bright cameos against Gujarat Titans (14* off 7 balls) and Lucknow Super Giants (12 off 3 balls), Dhoni arrived significantly early at the crease on Wednesday night when the side endured a poor batting display in the middle order against Rajasthan Royals. Chasing a 176-run target, CSK were 113/6 when Dhoni arrived at the crease with 5 overs remaining in the innings. While the Super Kings captain bid his time at the crease, opting to rotate strike against the dangerous spin duo of Ravichandran Ashwin and Yuzvendra Chahal, Dhoni shifted gears in the final three overs.

MS Dhoni(PTI)
MS Dhoni(PTI)

After smashing Adam Zampa for a six and a four in the 18th over, Dhoni bludgeoned two back-to-back sixes against Sandeep Sharma in the final over of the match. The CSK, however, fell merely three runs short of the target as Dhoni remained unbeaten on 32 off 17 deliveries. Even as the result didn't go in Super Kings' favour, it has only further increased the calls for Dhoni to promote himself in the order.

But former England and Kolkata Knight Riders captain Eoin Morgan believes Dhoni knows what's best for himself. In a media interaction right before the game between CSK and RR, Morgan stated that Dhoni might consider pushing himself up in the order if the side reaches playoffs; but not before that.

“Their batting lineup is probably as strong as it's going to be at the moment. I know he likes to put himself down the order, otherwise, we would've seen him promoting himself (by now). I don't envisage him batting higher than normal at the moment. Potentially, in the playoffs, in different circumstances, he might. But I don't see it right now. He's the best judge of himself, and if he doesn't feel that, it isn't the best time,” Morgan, the IPL expert on Jio Cinema, told Hindustan Times.

While Dhoni, nearing 42, is putting on a solid show in the tournament with both, his tactical acumen and batting prowess, some of the big names have failed to make a mark in the tournament. In Morgan's former franchise KKR, that big name is Andre Russell.

The highest wicket-taker for the side in the previous edition, Russell is yet to bowl a single over in 2023 so far. With bat, the West Indian had scores of 35 (19), 0, and 1 in three games. The Knight Riders did benefit from other players standing up to the occasion, but Russell's failures remain a concern for the side.

Morgan, however, believes that the KKR team management won't even think about excluding the West Indian star.

“I don't really see that happening. Both, sitting here as a fan and certainly having spent a couple of years alongside him. What he adds is a huge amount of value. He scored runs last year. He was their leading wicket-taker. One of the most impressive thing in KKR right now is they are not relying on him, or Narine, and we shouldn't forget that they're missing their captain as well,” Morgan told this publication.

“They're not solely relying on their big players. That does take the pressure of expectations away, and allow them the time they need. When the sides go away, they rely on senior players to do well. When you look at the bottom of the table, those sides have solely relied on their senior players to do well. That doesn't happen with KKR,” he further added.

Morgan explained how Delhi Capitals are suffering from failures of their batters bar captain David Warner. The former England star backed the DC skipper despite criticism over his strike rate, stating it would be unfair to “isolate” the player when others around him aren't stepping up.

“You've your big name players. But when you become solely reliant on a player, it can hamper his performance. David is scoring a lot of runs, he's going to be the Orange Cap contender. So, the quality is there, but you can't isolate one player when you have six others who can contribute. It's like isolating one bowler when you have five or six bowlers at your disposal,” Morgan said.

Enjoying time as commentator

The last time Morgan came to IPL, he was part of the KKR camp. In his first stint as commentator in India, it's a ‘feeling of joy’ for the former England skipper.

“I've loved it. The feeling of not packing the cricket bag and coming as a commentator was a feeling of joy. I retired because I was done! I'm enjoying my time with JioCinema,” said Morgan.

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