"I will never be in favour of MS Dhoni.." Ex-CSK players go for the kill after RCB loss

Legendary India and CSK cricketer MS Dhoni entertained the crowd with a few lusty blows during the match between Chennai Super Kings and Royal Challengers Bengaluru at Chepauk. However, his knock wasn't enough as RCB won the match easily in the end.

MS Dhoni walked in at No. 9 in this game. The move came under a lot of scrutiny and was the talking point even after the match. Former India cricketers Irfan Pathan and Robin Uthappa were not pleased with this decision and expressed their disappointment.

While Pathan didn't agree with Dhoni's batting position, Uthappa claimed that CSK missed a chance as it could have helped with their Net Run Rate, which is important in the latter stages of IPL.

Watch: Jitesh Sharma almost hits MS Dhoni with the ball in bizarre antics

Irfan Pathan on MS Dhoni batting at No. 9

Irfan Pathan took to social media to express his disagreement over MS Dhoni's batting position. Pathan claims not to be in favor of Dhoni batting at No. 9, feels that it was not ideal for CSK.

“I will never be in favour of Dhoni batting at number 9. Not ideal for team,” Pathan posted on X (formerly Twitter).

I will never be in favour of Dhoni batting at number 9. Not ideal for team.

— Irfan Pathan (@IrfanPathan) March 28, 2025

Robin Uthappa echoes Irfan Pathan's sentiments

Robin Uthappa echoed Pathan's sentiments and was clearly disappointed with Dhoni coming at No. 9. While he congratulated RCB on a massive win, he felt that sending Dhoni down the order didn't make any sense.

“Important win for RCB. A win at the fortress in Chepauk will be a huge boost in their campaign this year. Dhoni coming at number 9 didn't make sense at all. His coming earlier could have helped CSK’s NRR in their campaign this year,” posted Uthappa on X (formerly Twitter).

Important win for RCB. A win at the fortress in Chepauk will be a huge boost in their campaign this year. Dhoni coming at number 9 dint make sense at all. Him coming earlier could have helped CSK’s NRR in their campaign this year.

— Robbie Uthappa (@robbieuthappa) March 28, 2025

MS Dhoni's knock in vain

MS Dhoni batted at No. 9 in the match, even below the offspinner Ravichandran Ashwin. He was expected to come into the crease after Shivam Dube got out. But Ashwin arrived next, leaving the crowd disappointed.

Dhoni finally arrived when Ashwin was dismissed in the 16th over. He took his time and hardly looked to try for a win. He smacked his first boundary in the 19th over, bowled by Josh Hazlewood.

In the last over, Dhoni smacked the left-arm spinner Krunal Pandya for 2 sixes and a four to finish on 30 off 16 balls. He smashed 3 fours and 2 sixes during his knock. While it was an entertaining knock, his batting demotion didn't help CSK's cause, and several questions were raised about his role in the team.

Meanwhile, it was a perfect performance from RCB that saw them register their first win at Chepauk in 17 years. Their last win on this ground came way back in the IPL's inaugural edition in 2008.