"He should be taking the responsibility"- Irfan Pathan reckons MS Dhoni batting at No. 9 for CSK against PBKS was a wrong move
Former Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan was baffled to see veteran Chennai Super Kings (CSK) wicketkeeper-batter MS Dhoni bat as low as No. 9 during their IPL 2024 game against the Punjab Kings (PBKS) in Dharamsala on Sunday, May 5.
The Men in Yellow seem determined to use Dhoni's batting prowess only for the final two overs of their innings and it was evident when they held their former captain back despite losing six wickets. Pathan believes the way Dhoni has been striking the ball, the latter needs to bat for at least four to five overs.
Pathan told Star Sports about MS Dhoni after the game:
"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 four to five 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.”
Dhoni walked out to bat after the seventh wicket fell and with just eight balls left in the innings. He couldn't trouble the scorers as he was cleaned up by a slower yorker from Harshal Patel and had to depart for a golden duck.
Someone needs to tell MS Dhoni to bat four overs: Irfan Pathan
While Chennai have racked up 12 points in the IPL 2024 season so far, they have just three games left and Irfan Pathan feels CSK will need to win almost every game to qualify for the playoffs.
Pathan reckons the Men in Yellow shouldn't promote the likes of Shardul Thakur above MS Dhoni just because they lost too many wickets.
"It might happen that we will see CSK qualify for the playoffs from here on and they need to win 90 percent of their games. Yes, he (Dhoni) made an impact against Mumbai, but here, when the team needed him, you can’t send Shardul Thakur ahead of yourself. They need to work out something; someone has to tell Dhoni, ‘Come on mate, bat for four overs," he explained.
Dhoni has scored 110 runs in IPL 2024 at an outstanding strike rate of 224.49. While CSK are third in the points table, the logjam on 12 points alongside SunRisers Hyderabad and Lucknow Super Giants means that the Men in Yellow cannot afford slip-ups in their race to the playoffs.