"His reputation overrides the bowler's mind" - Brad Hogg decodes MS Dhoni's finishing abilities
Chennai Super Kings' (CSK) star player MS Dhoni has on several occasions showcased his skills as a finisher in white-ball cricket. The right-hander turned back the clock during his team's recent fixture against Mumbai Indians (MI) with his unbeaten knock of 28 off just 13 deliveries in a last-over thriller.
Former Australia spinner Brad Hogg recently decoded MS Dhoni's finishing tactics. Speaking on his YouTube channel, the ex-cricketer pointed out that the CSK star has the belief that he can chase down any score in the final over of a game.
The Aussie highlighted that during such crunch situations, the bowler is on the backfoot, considering Dhoni's stunning record of finishing matches in style. Hogg believes that the seasoned campaigner's reputation often gets the better of the opposition bowler.
The 51-year-old suggested that Dhoni likes to take the game to the final over and hence he is happy to play risk-free cricket during the 18th and the 19th over. Hogg explained:
"MS Dhoni wants that particular moment. He wants it because he believes in himself. No target is too big. Whether it's 15 runs an over or 30 runs an over, he still believes that he can get his team over the line. Also the reputation, he already knows that the bowler is thinking that he is good at this role at the back end and he can win from any situation.
"His scoring rate is not that high in the 18th and the 19th over," he added. "He is just working the ball around, making sure that he's got control of the run rate. It's between him and the bowler in the final over and he tries to attack the bowler in the first couple of balls. Once he does that, his reputation overrides the bowler's mind."
MS Dhoni steered CSK to a three-wicket victory over MI with his last-over heroics. He scored 16 runs off the final four deliveries against Jaydev Unadkat and helped his IPL team claim two vital points from the fixture.
Catch the latest IPL live score here on Sportskeeda!
MS Dhoni in IPL 2022
While the veteran keeper may have stepped down as the CSK captain, he continues to be one of the top draws in the Indian Premier League (IPL 2022). He has dazzled viewers with his inspiring batting performances on several occasions in the ongoing season.
MS Dhoni has 120 runs to his name, including a brilliant half-century, and a magnificent batting average of 60.00 from his seven appearances so far in this year's cash-rich league.
According to the IPL 2022 timetable, the Chennai-based side will next be seen in action later today when they take on the Punjab Kings (PBKS) at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai in what will be the 38th league match of the season.