“I can read maybe 2 or 3 percent”

Punjab Kings (PBKS) spinner Yuzvendra Chahal has said he can read no more than three percent of what’s going through Chennai Super Kings (CSK) legend MS Dhoni’s mind on the field. PBKS and CSK will clash on Tuesday, April 8. Chahal began his international career under Dhoni on the tour of Zimbabwe in 2016.

The leggie has often credited Dhoni for his valuable inputs from behind the stumps in the initial stages of his career.

Ahead of the battle between PBKS and CSK, Chahal said (via TOI):

“Mahi bhai has watched me bowl from behind the stumps for years. He knows how I bowl, what I think, and what I’m likely to do. I can read — maybe 2 or 3 percent — of what Mahi bhai is thinking. I know the kind of situations he comes into bat.”

He added:

“If he walks in between overs 1–10, we know we have to attack. But if he comes in the later stages of the match, we understand exactly what he’ll try to do. We plan accordingly. You can’t give him an easy ball — if you do, he’ll send it out of the park.”

Both Chahal and Dhoni have gotten off to rough starts this IPL season. The PBKS spinner has picked up only one wicket at an average of 102 and an economy rate of 10.20 in three matches.

Meanwhile, Dhoni has scored his 76 runs at a sub-par strike rate of 138.18, resulting in CSK failing in three consecutive run-chases.

“He gives you a lot of freedom” – Yuzvendra Chahal on Shreyas Iyer

In the same interview, Yuzvendra Chahal hailed PBKS skipper Shreyas Iyer as someone approachable at all times. Iyer led the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to the IPL title last year before moving to PBKS in the 2025 auction.

“I know Shreyas really well — he’s a good friend of mine. He gives you a lot of freedom. You can approach him at any time. He’s very calm. It’s not like if the opposition is scoring runs, he’ll panic — he remains composed. He listens to everyone, he’s very open-minded, and I’m really enjoying playing under his captaincy.”

Under Iyer’s inspired captaincy, PBKS started the season in style with two wins. However, they suffered a 50-run defeat in their last game against the Rajasthan Royals (RR).

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Venkatesh has been writing cricket news, listicle and feature articles for Sportskeeda for over a year. He loves cricket because of the diversity of the playing fields and its unparalleled nuances, which no other sport presents. He also enjoys the analytical and quantitative side of the sport, which originates from his MBA degree and 10 years of experience in the IT industry in companies like Infosys, Atos and TCS.

Venkatesh ensures proper research from reliable sources and social media trends to gather information, and adds his own dash of creativity to create insightful content.

He started watching cricket in the late 1990s, having been impressed with South Africa and New Zealand’s gentleman-like attitude. Domestically, he supports the Chennai Super Kings for their ability to bring the best out of their players owing to a friendly and conducive team environment.

He admires three cricketers the most – Brian Lara for his batting style, AB de Villiers for changing the paradigm of batting and MS Dhoni for his unique cerebral approach to field placings and batting. Along with cricket, Venkatesh also enjoys watching and playing tennis and basketball. In his free time, he finds pleasure in singing and watching movies and web series.

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Edited by Parag Jain