That makes a difference to the game

Former New Zealand pacer Simon Doull believes Chennai Super Kings (CSK) wicketkeeper batter MS Dhoni must bat higher up the order at No.4 to be a difference maker. Doull’s remarks came after Dhoni’s late-overs onslaught went in vain against the Punjab Kings (PBKS) at Mullanpur on April 8.

Chasing a massive 220 for victory, the 43-year-old walked in to bat with only 4.1 overs left, and 69 runs were still required. Dhoni still tried to pull off one of his herculean finishes but was dismissed in the first ball of the final over for a 12-ball 27.

It meant CSK suffered an 18-run defeat – their fourth consecutive after the season-opening win over the Mumbai Indians (MI).

Reflecting on Dhoni’s batting position post-game, Doull told Cricbuzz (Via Hindustan Times):

“Dhoni was 27 off 12 balls… if it happens at no.3 or 4, that makes a difference to the game. By the time he came out to bat, the run rate was 14. It was too late. Dhoni had three sixes in 12 balls. The rest of the team had five in total. So that tells you he’s still got the ability and power to hit those sixes.”

He added:

“That’s why we have been talking about getting him up in the order. Because 27 off 12 balls, when they are 2 down, actually can make a difference. It’s not his fault.”

Dhoni’s batting position has been a topic of discussion among experts and fans following his batting at No. 9 in CSK’s second outing against the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). Despite batting higher over the last three matches, the right-hander has faced only 67 balls in five games this season.

“He had the pace of the pitch but his strike rate was too low” – Simon Doull

Simon Doull questioned the timing of Devon Conway’s retirement during CSK’s run chase against PBKS. Despite scoring 69, the Kiwi opener took 49 balls when the asking rate was over 11 throughout the innings.

Conway eventually retired himself out with 13 balls remaining to bring Ravindra Jadeja to the crease.

“Retiring Conway was an interesting decision. He had the pace of the pitch but his strike rate was too low. In a game where you’ve got a strike rate of 190 to win, he was scoring at 140. But he was retired out too late, too late for Jadeja to assess,” said Doull.

Despite an improved batting performance that saw them cross the 200-run mark, CSK’s chasing struggles continued. The Men in Yellow have now chased in all five matches but succeeded only once.

Languishing at ninth on the points table, CSK will look to snap out of a four-match losing streak in their next encounter against the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on Friday, April 11.

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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 Vaishnavi Iyer