In a thrilling match, Chennai Super Kings upset Gujarat Titans to win the Indian Premier League (IPL 2023) season. Following the thrilling action, spectators witnessed the legendary celebration of MS Dhoni lifting Ravindra Jadeja, who then perfectly sealed the victory for his team. As MS Dhoni guided CSK to a record-tying sixth IPL victory, the noise at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad was nearly unbearable, but there was also a tinge of sadness.
Although insiders and several media reports suggested that MS Dhoni was about to retire, the fans weren’t ready to bid farewell to the modern-day legend. At the post-match presentation, fans were eagerly awaiting for Dhoni’s speech. To their surprise, however, he announced that he would be playing in the upcoming season as a “gift” for all of them. The decision was widely applauded by the crowd, but CSK faced many challenges on the farewell tour in 2024.
Just before IPL 2024 began, Dhoni announced his resignation as captain of CSK, and Ruturaj Gaikwad took over. This marked the beginning of the IPL 2024 season. Although Ravindra Jadeja had previously attempted and failed to unseat MS Dhoni as the captain of CSK in 2022, the backing of the supporters and team management made it quite clear that Gaikwad was the team’s future captain, and the entire ‘Yellow Army’ was behind him this time.
Still going strong, though, was the discussion about MS Dhoni’s potential impact on the field. Regarded as one of the game’s greatest strategists, Dhoni has demonstrated in the past that his skill alone can turn any match around. The talks consequently continued unabated, to the point that several experts openly questioned how much Gaikwad would be able to lead the squad.
While Dhoni the skipper was around to guide the team, Dhoni the batter went missing. In 2023, MS Dhoni had already taken on a finishing role, and his contribution was evident with a strike rate of more than 180. He played big hits when the team needed them, came out to bat in tight spots, and, most significantly, launched a career that made him renowned from the outset.
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MS Dhoni’s Role Mysterious
But neither analysts nor fans understand Dhoni’s role as a batter in IPL 2024. In the first two games, he did not bat, and in the third, he did so after Sameer Rizvi and Ravindra Jadeja. With a target of 192, Dhoni came out to bat somewhat late. Despite hitting 37 off 16 balls, his team was unable to reach the target by 20 runs because of excessive pressure. This was a stark contrast to his performance in 2023, a season in which he established himself as his team’s go-to finisher.
The next 2 matches once again saw Jadeja come ahead of Dhoni and although the crowd reactions did not differ on these occasions, a question was raised constantly – Where is Thala when the team needs him? Dhoni has batted anywhere from No. 3 to No. 7 throughout the years, depending on where his team required him to be. However, at No. 8 for CSK, he just does not have enough time to display his devastating batting.
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In today’s game, an increasing number of teams are trying to select wicket-keepers who can actively support their side’s batting. The Rajasthan Royals are going for Dhruv Jurel and Jos Buttler. Whereas, Lucknow Super Giants are playing KL Rahul, Quinton De Kock, and Nicholas Pooran. In contrast, Dhoni is the only wicketkeeper listed on CSK’s official website. No other players are listed. Since Devon Conway is now unavailable and young Aravelly Avanish Rao appears to be the only viable candidate for the position, god forbid, an injury to Dhoni may be a serious issue.
Although Dhoni’s role as a “specialist leader” may be advantageous to CSK, even a mentorship role could have been acceptable for the superstar. While CSK has had a strong start to the 2024 season, some pundits and fans are perplexed about Dhoni’s position on the team. Although it was never a reflection of Dhoni’s great career, his mishandled catch against the Kolkata Knight Riders was a hint of a larger issue: Is MS Dhoni becoming a burden for CSK?
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