"Just wonder whether the mind is ticking as astutely" - Aussie legend's huge statement on MS Dhoni after RCB vs CSK IPL 2025 match
Former Australia wicket-keeper Adam Gilchrist questioned whether MS Dhoni's well-renowned cricketing brain is as sharp as it used to be after Chennai Super Kings' (CSK) loss to the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). The Yellow Army suffered a narrow two-run loss in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 contest at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Saturday, May 3.
The defeat keeps CSK rooted to the bottom of the table with just four points to their name. Since MS Dhoni took over as captain midway through the season following Ruturaj Gaikwad's injury, the team have recorded only one win in six matches. The team are currently on a four-match losing run heading towards the business end of the tournament.
Several of MS Dhoni's tactical calls during the losing run have been questioned. One such bizarre decision came during the penultimate over of the first innings against RCB, when Khaleel Ahmed was given the ball after having conceded 32 runs off his first two overs with the new ball.
Gilchrist questioned Dhoni's decision to bring back Khaleel against a red-hot Romario Shepherd, when all of Anshul Kamboj, Sam Curran, and Ravindra Jadeja had overs remaining in their quota.
"Tactically, I don't know whether there was a huge amount that he could have done different. Maybe, Khaleel, going to him at the back end there was risky given he had gone for 32 off his first two overs. So, maybe he might have had another option there," Gilchrist said on Cricbuzz.
"He (MS Dhoni) is never animated, he never shows visible signs of being upset, but I just wonder whether the energy is still being generated internally for him, whether the mind is ticking as astutely as it always has, just as he is edging further and further, and closer and closer to the end," he added.
The decision to go with Khaleel Ahmed proved costly as he conceded 33 runs in the 19th over. The left-arm pacer had an outing to forget, finishing with figures of 0-65 off his three overs with a staggering economy of 21.70.
"We need to execute our yorkers better" - CSK captain MS Dhoni seeks improvement in death bowling after loss to RCB
CSK bowlers missed the yorker several times in the death overs, and Romario Shepherd made the most of the resulting full toss or a delivery in the slot. Khaleel Ahmed's slower-ball plan did not prove to be effective, as Shepherd still generated enough power to clear the fence comfortably.
MS Dhoni remarked that the bowlers have to hit the yorkers more often to contain the opposition batters, especially in the death overs.
"When I went in to bat, looking at the kind of balls that were bowled, I should have pulled it off. So, I will take the blame. Other than that, Romario Shepherd's knock at the end. We need to execute our yorkers better. If you miss the yorker, it has to be a low full toss at best. Somebody like a Pathirana, if he cannot land a yorker, he can go for a bouncer with the pace he has got," MS Dhoni told broadcasters after the match.
CSK will next face the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the Eden Gardens on Wednesday, May 7.