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MS Dhoni-led Chennai Super Kings (CSK) went down to defending champions Gujarat Titans (GT) by five wickets at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad in the opening Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 contest on Friday, March 31.
Sent into bat after losing the toss, Chennai posted 178/7 as opening batter Ruturaj Gaikwad starred with a 92-run knock off 50 balls.
None of the other batters could make a significant contribution in Chennai’s innings. Coming into bat at No. 8, Dhoni struck an unbeaten 14 off seven balls, hitting one four and a six to take CSK past the 175-run mark.
His efforts weren’t enough though as Gujarat Titans (GT) chased down the target in 19.2 overs courtesy of Shubman Gill’s 36-ball 63 and cameos from Rashid Khan and Rahul Tewatia.
In the build-up to CSK’s second match against the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Monday, April 3, one of the big talking points has been Dhoni’s batting position.
In this feature, we look at three reasons why he must bat higher up the order in IPL 2023.
#1 He needs some time to settle in
Over the last few years, Dhoni has taken some time to settle in before going for his big strokes. That was the case during the last few seasons of his international career as well. If you look back at his IPL career in recent seasons, his strike rates tell a story.
In IPL 2018, when CSK won the T20 league following a two-year suspension, the keeper-batter produced phenomenal numbers. In 16 matches, he smashed 455 runs at an average of 75.83 and a strike rate of 150.66, with three half-centuries.
Dhoni did well in 2019 as well, scoring 416 runs in 15 matches at an average of 83.20. While he again notched up three half-centuries, his strike rate fell to 134.62.
There was a further dip in Dhoni’s scoring in the 2020 season. He managed 200 runs in 14 matches at an average of 25 and a strike rate of 116.27. The CSK captain endured one of his worst years with the bat in 2021, managing only 114 runs in 16 matches at a strike rate of 106.54.
By batting down the order, MSD aims to give the younger players in the team a better chance to perform. It is a noble idea for sure, but Dhoni clearly struggles to up the ante when there are only a handful of deliveries left.
He did manage to play a nice cameo in the last match, but that was more of an exception than the rule.
#2 Shivam Dube ahead of MS Dhoni doesn’t make sense
No matter which batting line-up, Dhoni batting at No. 8 does not make any sense. It is pretty much a waste of his batting talent.
With all due credit to Shivam Dube, the youngster batting ahead of Dhoni defies logic because he doesn’t possess the skills to build an innings.
CSK would do well to swap Dhoni and Dube’s roles in the team. The Chennai Super Kings captain can accumulate some runs by batting in the middle order and can go after the bowling at the death if he is still around.
Dube, on the other hand, can come in at the end and go berserk from the word go. He could be more dangerous in that role since he has no other option but to go after the bowling.
The left-handed batter clearly struggled for rhythm in the match against GT. Batting at No. 6, he scored 19 off 18 balls, hitting one six.
#3 There are some concerns over CSK’s middle order
Another reason why Dhoni must consider batting higher in the order is that CSK’s middle order doesn’t look all that strong. Had it not been for Gaikwad’s one-man show, Chennai could have been embarrassed by Gujarat in Ahmedabad in their opening match.
Moeen Ali has played a few handy cameos for CSK in the last two to three seasons, but his numbers have not been all that impressive lately.
England’s talismanic all-rounder Ben Stokes is new to the Chennai set-up. His huge reputation notwithstanding, Stokes might take some time to settle into his role as a specialist batter.
As for Ambati Rayudu, there is a worry that he is past his prime. All-rounder Ravindra Jadeja also needs to reestablish himself in the team after a horror season last year.
Keeping all these factors in mind, CSK skipper Dhoni would do well to bat higher in the order in the remaining games.
