IPL 2021: "It is unfair to expect that Dhoni is going to bat as he did in 2011, 2015 or 2017" - Aakash Chopra on CSK's batting performance

Aakash Chopra has acknowledged that Chennai Super Kings (CSK) skipper MS Dhoni can't bat the way he did in his prime but added that his strike rate in last night's IPL 2021 was a bit too low.

Dhoni scored a painstaking 18 runs off 27 deliveries against the Delhi Capitals (DC) as CSK posted a below-par score of 136/5. The 40-year-old veteran failed to hit a boundary during the course of his innings.

While reflecting on CSK's batting effort in a video shared on his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra highlighted that Dhoni's willow didn't do the talking. He observed:

"Dhoni came up the order and the team was just crawling. It is unfair to expect that Dhoni is going to bat as he did in 2011, 2015 or 2017. He is not striking the ball well and had a strike rate of 66."

The cricketer-turned-commentator pointed out that Ambati Rayudu's knock was in stark contrast to the one played by Dhoni and helped CSK post a fighting total. Chopra explained:

"You might say the 66 strike rate was okay, if it was then Ambati Rayudu should also have run at the same pace. But Ambati Rayudu was brilliant and he once again played a good knock to take his team to a competitive score but not a winning score."

Aakash Chopra added that the CSK top order did not cover themselves in glory before the Rayudu-Dhoni partnership. He elaborated:

"Ruturaj Gaikwad got out to the pull, fast delivery, got him out with a bouncer. Faf du Plessis also gets out, Robin Uthappa came at No.3, he also got out, Moeen Ali's batting was also not too good, he also got out."

CSK were reduced to a score of 62/4 when Dhoni joined Rayudu in the middle. While there was a need to stabilize the innings at that time, the former's inability to play the big shots towards the latter stages of his knock probably cost them the match.

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Aakash Chopra on the CSK bowling effort

Shardul Thakur was the star performer for CSK with the ball [P/C: iplt20.com]

Speaking about CSK's bowling performance, Aakash Chopra highlighted that Dwayne Bravo's slightly wayward bowling and a dropped catch made Shardul Thakur's efforts go in vain. He said:

"Shardul came and made a match of it. You cannot leave Lord Thakur out, he again made the match very interesting. But Dwayne Bravo came to bowl at the end and he bowled wides and on the legs. A catch was also dropped and one ball was bowled outside the pitch."

Krishnappa Gowtham put down Shimron Hetmyer at long-on off Bravo's bowling in the 18th over. The Delhi Capitals southpaw then took his side home with an unbeaten 28-run knock.