'Why MS Dhoni Has Been Out There for Just Three Balls!': CSK Criticised for Strange Call Against SRH

Chennai Super Kings suffered their second straight defeat of IPL 2024 when Sunrisers Hyderabad outclassed them on Friday night. However, CSK team management’s one particular move has come under scrutiny.

SRH bowlers kept CSK batters in check by clever use of slower deliveries and off-cutters. The result was that they only managed 165/5 in 20 overs as Shivam Dube top-scored for them with 45 off 24.

MS Dhoni batted for the second time in the season but by the time he walked in, CSK had just three more deliveries left in their innings and the former skipper could manage just a single while facing two of them.

Now, in CSK’s previous match, against the Delhi Capitals, Dhoni struck an unbeaten 37 off 16 when batting at no.8 which then led to suggestions that he shouldn’t be batting so low given his form.

However, CSK stuck to their approach with Dhoni batting at no.7, a move that has been questioned by the likes of Irfan Pathan, Michael Vaughan and Simon Doull.

Pathan felt that a right-handed batter should have been facing the likes of Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jaydev Unadkat given SRH’s plan to bowl off-cutters.

“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,” Pathan posted on X.

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On Cricbuzz, Vaughan was ‘amazed’ why CSK sent Dhoni wasn’t used earlier in the innings considering how well he batted against DC.

“On the back of what he (Dhoni) 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,” Vaughan said.

Former New Zealand pacer Simon Doull was also surprised.

“He (Dhoni) 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.”