Chennai Super Kings fans have been thrilled to see MS Dhoni, also known as ‘Thala’, in action during the IPL 2024 season. Although Dhoni retired from international cricket a while back, IPL remains the only platform for fans to watch him play. Throughout this season, Dhoni has been showcasing his batting skills, hitting boundaries in his signature style.
However, fans have been puzzled by his position in the batting order, particularly in the last match where he came to bat at No. 9, much lower than expected. A recent report from the Times of India shed light on the reason behind Dhoni’s lower batting order.
It revealed that MS Dhoni is dealing with a muscle tear in his leg, which limits his ability to run freely on the field. As a result, Dhoni prefers to come to bat later in the innings, where there’s less pressure on running between the wickets. The news of Dhoni’s injury raised concerns among fans about his future in the tournament.
Some speculated that he might be playing his last season, using this time to groom the team for his eventual retirement. This theory was presented by a former Kolkata Knight Riders Team Director, painting a somewhat grim picture for Dhoni’s future with CSK. In summary, Dhoni’s lower batting order in IPL 2024 is attributed to a muscle tear in his leg, which affects his running between the wickets.
Dhoni’s Alleged Strategy: Battling Injury to Serve Fans and Mentor Team Ahead of Potential Retirement
This injury has led to speculation about Dhoni’s future in the tournament, with some suggesting that he might retire at the end of the season and is using this time to prepare the team for his departure.
“Here’s my Dhoni theory. He’s playing on with his muscle tear for his two most important constituencies, his fans and his team. The part about saying goodbye to his fans around the country is obvious.”
“What we might be missing is why he chooses to play on for the team, Conway is injured, which means the only other keeper in their squad is young Aravelly Avanish, certainly quite a way off from first XI duties. Dhoni also probably wants to give just enough support to Ruturaj to make sure that the transition is smooth this time around. Next year is the big auction, and if he sees them through this year, they will go in with a lot of cash and a young core.” Joy Bhattacharjya wrote in a long post on X.
Here's my Dhoni theory. He's playing on with his muscle tear for his two most important constituencies, his fans and his team.
— Joy Bhattacharjya (@joybhattacharj) May 7, 2024
The part about saying goodbye to his fans around the country is obvious. What we might be missing is why he chooses to play on for the team.
Conway is…
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