"MS Dhoni is not finished, he is a finisher" - Mohammad Kaif ahead of CSK vs PBKS in IPL 2022
Former Indian cricketer and cricket expert Mohammad Kaif believes it is too early to write off MS Dhoni as he is still one of the best finishers in the business. The 41-year-old has been impressed with the way the former Chennai Super Kings (CSK) captain batted in the opening two games.
MS Dhoni has scored 66 runs so far at a fantastic strike rate of 150 and is yet to be dismissed. Mohammad Kaif feels this could just be the season where Dhoni is back to his vintage best.
While speaking to Sportskeeda on the show 'SK Match ki Baat', here's what Mohammad Kaif had to say about MS Dhoni:
"Dhoni is not finished, he is a finisher. People have said his time his over and this could be his last IPL, but look at how he has batted, remaining not-out in both innings. This year we might see the Dhoni that we knew who used to start hitting boundaries from ball one."
Kaif also shed light on how good pitch conditions can help Dhoni's strokeplay and that with no burden of captaincy, he could unleash his best with the bat. Kaif added:
"He has left the captaincy on paper and there may not be under much pressure. So we might see the free-flowing Dhoni who used to hit the ball out of the stadium. The conditions are good, Maharashtra have good wickets and he will get pace and the way he hit that first ball six, shows that he is in good form."
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"You will never be able to know what is going on in MS Dhoni's mind"- Mohammad Kaif
Mohammad Kaif feels it is too early to predict that this will be MS Dhoni's last IPL season, as no one can anticipate what his next move will be. After shocking everyone by giving up the captaincy, Dhoni might also someday spring up another surprise about his playing days, according to Kaif. He stated:
"You will never be able to know what is going on in Dhoni's mind. If we talk about this IPL, there is a game after two days but Dhoni suddenly decides that Jadeja will be the captain. He is still fit and is scoring runs so it shouldn't be a problem."
Kaif also spoke about how different players approach Dhoni to learn from him and how the 40-year-old is always ready to share his cricketing knowledge. He added:
"Dhoni will not respond to messages on phone, but when on ground, you can talk to him about cricket and learn from your mistakes. He is basically an open book and a master of his trade as many go to him to learn."
CSK will play the Punjab Kings in their third game of the season on Sunday (April 3), according to the IPL schedule.