Since 2023, Dhoni has played 23 innings and scored 265 runs at a 203.84 strike rate, with the best of 37*.
Even after four years of retirement, MS Dhoni actively plays for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the Indian Premier League (IPL). However, his role as a batter has been limited to playing a few balls and providing impetus to the innings while batting in the lower order.
In a promotional event at Goa, Dhoni opened on his role, revealing last year he batted in the lower order to give some game time to players auditioning for the impending T20 World Cup 2024. He added that CSK were happy with his role in the team.
“My thinking was simple, if others are doing their job well, why do I need to come up the order. If you’re talking about last year (season) specifically, the T20 World Cup squad was going to be announced soon. So we have to give people who are fighting for a spot a chance. In our team (CSK), we had a few, [Ravindra] Jadeja was there, Shivam Dube was there, so you give them an opportunity to prove themselves to get into the Indian team. There was nothing in it for me, no selection and other things. So I’m good behind [playing down the order] and my team was happy with what I was doing.”
Since 2023, Dhoni has played 23 innings and scored 265 runs at a 203.84 strike rate, with the best of 37*. However, on average, he has faced only 5.65 balls per innings and 14 of those outings have come at No.7 or below, showing he played as a lower-order batter who also kept wickets.
After much speculation, MS Dhoni has been confirmed to return to playing for Chennai Super Kings in the next edition. He will most likely play as an uncapped player, for rules were tweaked to accommodate him to play as an uncapped player.
He hasn’t played for India in five years or held any BCCI’s central contract, so he falls under the criteria. Given other options in this category, CSK will likely reserve a slot for their former captain, while Sameer Rizvi might take the second slot.
His presence will help Ruturaj Gaikwad make more prudent decisions on the field, for he still has a lot to learn. This league brings so much pressure, which can lead to captains making wrong decisions, but Dhoni has aced it over the years.
CSK won’t have to look for alternatives in the wicketkeeper section, for Dhoni is still as quick as ever behind the sticks. Further, he will also bring the crowd with him wherever he plays because he is a crowd favourite, and fans line up in numbers to see him play.
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