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'Can't understand why Dhoni was out there for just 3 balls': CSK's baffling move questioned after 2nd straight loss
Chennai Super Kings lost their second consecutive match away from home in IPL 2024 following a six-wicket loss to SRH
After the thunderous cameo against Delhi Capitals last Sunday, which left world cricket in awe, the question on everybody's mind was whether Chennai Super Kings would send MS Dhoni a bit earlier in subsequent matches and capitalise on his breathtaking form. On Friday night, at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, the question only seemed more logical with the Chennai side, barring Shivam Dube, struggling on the sluggish Hyderabad track laid down for the game against Sunrisers. However, captain Ruturaj Gaikwad and the CSK management's decision to send Dhoni at No. 7 left experts baffled and was later outlined as a significant error as the side succumbed to a second successive loss in IPL 2024.
Following his unbeaten 37 off 16 against Delhi in Vizag, laced with four boundaries and three sixes, the likes of Shane Watson and Brett Lee urged CSK to send Dhoni up the order as the explosive knock went in vain in Chennai's chase of 192.
When Dube was sent packing by SRH skipper Pat Cummins in the 14th over, Chennai were expected to send Dhoni out at No. 6. But instead, Daryl Mitchell was sent ahead and the New Zealand batter struggled against the slower deliveries from the Sunrisers fast bowlers, as he managed only a solitary boundary in his 11-ball 13 before being dismissed by T Natarajan.
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Dhoni walked out next with three balls to spare in the innings, where he faced only two deliveries, scoring a single against Natarajan as CSK amassed 165 for five in 20 overs.
After SRH chased down the total with 11 balls to spare to hand Chennai their second straight loss in IPL 2024, both away from home, former India cricketer Irfan Pathan questioned the logic behind holding back Dhoni, who he feels could have dictated the terms against Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jaydev Unadkat.
“Considering off cutter planning in to the pitch and match up against Bhuvi and Unadkat, Dhoni the right hand batsman should have batted up the order in this match vs SRH,” he tweeted amid CSK's six-wicket loss.
Speaking on Cricbuzz, former cricketers Michael Vaughan and Simon Doull too were surprised at the tactic.
“On the back of what he did in the last game, I'm amazed he did not come out to bat earlier. I can't understand why he's been out there for just three balls,” said the ex-England captain.
Doull added: “He has the ability and power to hit those slower balls. We have seen it, he has done it in the past, but I was a bit surprised.”
Gaikwad's ‘honest’ take on where CSK lost the match
Although Gaikwad admitted that SRH came back stronger in the back end of CSK's innings with a strong bowling plan, he felt the visitors lost the game after the hosts smashed 78 runs for the loss of one wicket in the powerplay.
"I think to be honest, it was a slow pitch, They bowled well in the back-end, kept the game in control and didn't allow us to capitalise. I thought we did well in the beginning (of the match), but they came back well later," the CSK captain said after the defeat. "We conceded too many in the batting PP, one dropped catch and one expensive over."
