The Ruturaj Gaikwad-led Chennai Super Kings have had an incredible ride in the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. The five-time winners have won two of their last four games, good for fourth place in the standings and four points.
After a season filled with highs and lows, many fans have voiced their opinion that the batting order has to be adjusted. They have questioned why senior batsman and former captain MS Dhoni is batting so low in the order.
In a recent match in Vizag, Dhoni performed an amazing knock against the Delhi Capitals, collecting an undefeated 37 runs in just 16 deliveries and hitting Anrich Nortje for 20 runs in the last over. Many were calling for Dhoni to move up in the order, but Michael Clarke and Sanjay Manjrekar felt the veteran should remain the finisher.
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This means he’ll have to beat out people like Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, or Daryl Mitchell. Should I make that decision? How Come? Perhaps not. I’m hoping he can do the same thing as last season. Minimal balls and maximal force. And even in that match, he took 16–17 balls to reach his 30-odd. Among MS Dhoni’s strengths are his cameos, guidance to Ruturaj, and wicketkeeping. It might not be the best idea to send him down to No. 3 or No. 4, Sanjay Manjrekar said at Star Sports.
Clarke, the former captain of Australia, agreed, saying that MS Dhoni has never played any other role in any format of the game but finisher.
“Sanjay, you are right on. He’s not obliged to. In whatever version of the game, that has never been his role. It’s possible that he has gone up the order on occasion. But he’s a finisher most of the time. Most likely, he is the greatest finisher the game has ever seen. Thus, he is spared from changing it. Having MS Dhoni in your lineup also means that the guys ahead of him should feel more confident and perhaps take a few chances a little sooner. He is employed in enough places and has been for a considerable amount of time. It’s time for other players to take the field,” stated Clarke.
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