The former India cricketer criticized CSK star MS Dhoni after the player came out to bat at the number 9 spot during a match against Punjab Kings.
Former India cricketer Irfan Pathan criticized Chennai Super Kings’ star player MS Dhoni after the player came out to bat at the number 9 spot during his side’s match against Punjab Kings in the IPL 2024 game on Sunday. In the match in Dharamsala, Dhoni batted at the number 9 spot for the first time in his T20 career and his innings ended with a golden duck as PBKS pacer Harshal Patel bowled him. Pathan opined that Dhoni should take responsibility and come to bat up the order.
“MS Dhoni batting at No.9 doesn’t work for CSK, it doesn’t help the team’s cause. I know that he is 42, but he is in solid form. He should be taking the responsibility of batting up the order. He should bat for at least 4 to 5 overs. He is batting for the last over or last 2 overs and that doesn’t serve the purpose for CSK for a long term,” Pathan told Star Sports as quoted by India Today.
Dhoni is having a superb season with the bat, scoring 110 across 7 innings at an average of average of 55 and a strike rate of 224.49.
“It could happen that we will see CSK fit the bill for the end-of-the-season games from here on and they need to win 90% of their games. As a legitimate senior person, who’s in structure, he really wants to bat up the request. He can’t be doing likewise that he has done on a significant number of events,” said Pathan.
“Indeed, he had an effect against Mumbai, yet here, when the group required him, you can’t send Shardul Thakur in front of yourself. You can’t see Dhoni batting at No.9. Sameer Rizvi was additionally cushioned up in the fifteenth over. They need to sort out something; somebody needs to tell Dhoni, ‘Come on mate, bat for 4 overs’,” he added.
