Five-time IPL champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) haven’t had the best start to the 18th edition of the tournament. After a victorious opener against Mumbai Indians, the Ruturaj Gaikwad-led squad suffered consecutive losses to Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Rajasthan Royals.
In response, all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja reassured CSK fans, promising better days ahead. A day after their defeat to the Rajasthan Royals in Guwahati, Jadeja shared a picture with MS Dhoni, expressing confidence in the team’s comeback.
He captioned the post, “Things will change.”
Ravindra Jadeja and MS Dhoni fought hard to take CSK across the finish line against Rajasthan Royals. With 39 needed off the last two overs, the duo smashed 19 runs in the penultimate over bowled by Tushar Deshpande. CSK required 20 off the final over, with Sandeep Sharma bowling.
A wide on the first ball raised hopes, and Dhoni looked poised for a stunning finish. However, Sandeep, with help from Shimron Hetmyer, dismissed the veteran wicketkeeper on the very next delivery, crushing CSK’s chances of a dramatic win. In the end, CSK fell six runs short, handing Rajasthan Royals their first victory of the season.
What’s the reason behind Dhoni batting lower in the order?
MS Dhoni came in to bat at No. 7 against Rajasthan Royals. Previously, he had batted at No. 9 against RCB, sparking a major controversy. Following the RR match, CSK head coach Stephen Fleming clarified that Dhoni’s limited batting time was due to issues with his knees.
“MS judges it. His body is, his knees aren’t what they used to be. And he’s moving okay, but there’s still an attrition aspect to it. He can’t bat 10 overs running full stick. So he will gauge on the day what he can give us. If the game’s in the balance like today, he will go a little bit earlier, and he backs other players when other opportunities are up. So he’s balancing that,” said Fleming.
“I said it last year [as well], he’s too valuable to us – leadership and wicket-keeping – to throw him in nine, ten overs. He has actually never done that. So, look, from around 13-14 overs, he’s looking to go depending on who’s in,” he added.
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