IPL 2025: When Dhoni’s calming influence made the difference
Leading CSK because Ruturaj Gaekwad was injured, he directed the spinners in particular and then finished the chase against LSG on Monday
Lucknow: Many believe MS Dhoni has stayed on one season too long in the IPL, and the inevitable slowdown at 43 years is also dragging the five-time champions down. Even a calm unit that Chennai Super Kings are, they have struggled to explain as they have stumbled from one loss to another this season.
Monday evening at Lucknow Super Giants proved an exception. The stamp of Dhoni’s leadership is the calmness, and this time, with regular skipper Ruturaj Gaekwad injured, CSK’s talisman took charge and sealed only their second win in seven games. Stuck at the bottom of the 10-team table, the odd win may not do, but CSK’s and Dhoni’s legion of fans can keep believing that their hero can still work his magic in the chase for a playoffs spot.
Quick running between the wicket may be beyond him, and his reflexes may have slowed down, but Dhoni’s astuteness in judging a chase is still very much there. In the end, that helped steer the side to a five-wicket win with three balls to spare against Lucknow Super Giants at Lucknow’s Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium.
First came his sharp management of bowling as LSG batted. The rapid field changes after Khaleel Ahmed was struck for a boundary and efficient rotation of spinners Noor Ahmad and Ravindra Jadeja was proof he is still an astute leader. His patient but smart batting, even when the asking rate went over 11, turned the tide firmly in favour of CSK in the end.
“Blessed and overwhelmed,” was Dhoni’s quick reply, as a sea of yellow in the almost 45,000 fans rejoiced at the result. They had all come in despite doubts whether Dhoni would be fully fit, having seen him run with the team physio Tommy Simsek a day before the match.
For the most part on Sunday he stretched and lay on the ground. He only faced spinners in the nets. But Dhoni knew how the pitch would behave as he elected to bowl. He rotated spinners Noor and Jadeja well after pacers Khaleel and Anshul Kamboj dismissed Aiden Markram and Nicholas Pooran in succession.
When Dhoni joined Shivam Dubey in the middle, CSK needed 56 runs in 30 balls. With all eyes on how Dhoni, who had looked sluggish with the bat in earlier game, would do, he stayed calm. He played out Avesh Khan’s first delivery, then struck the second and third balls for four.
In the next over, Dhoni struck Shardul Thakur for six over square leg, finishing the swing one-handed. He also hit Thakur for another four, in the 19th over. Dhoni’s 11-ball 26* complemented Dubey’s 37-ball 43.
“Good to win a game. Unfortunately, the games haven’t gone our way… It was a tough game, but glad to be on the winning side; hopefully it gives us momentum,” he said after the match.
Like many skippers this IPL, Dhoni too wasn’t very pleased with the home pitch, but his wasn’t a complaint against the groundsmen. “We were not getting the kind of the start also as a batting unit... maybe this was because of the Chennai wicket... maybe we’ll do better on better wickets, give the batters more confidence,” he said.
“We need more bowlers in the first six (overs), we were putting too much pressure on Ash (Ashwin) to bowl two overs in the first six… so we made changes to have more bowlers in the first six... we have done well as a bowling unit, we can do better as a batting unit too. Shaik Rasheed (20-year-old opener) batted really well; he has been with us for a few years, we have seen improvement and this year he has been batting really well in the nets... he has the ability to dominate with authentic shots...” Rasheed made 27 and raised 52 for the first wicket with Rachin Ravindra (37), laying the platform while chasing 167 for victory.
CSK bowling coach Eric Simmons hailed the influence Dhoni has on the team.
“His influence has been there all the time, even when he wasn’t the captain. His relationship with Rutu (Gaikwad, the designated skipper) is very important. His relationship with (coach) Fleming is very important. His relationship with all the players is important. It’s not that he teaches typical technical issues, but it’s the calmness you see out there—that’s how he teaches you to play the game,” the South African said.
