PBKS vs CSK: "No responsibility when you play only 8-10 balls"- Gautam Gambhir on MS Dhoni

KKR mentor Gautam Gambhir has revealed the kind of freedom his former India teammate MS Dhoni is provided by the Chennai Super Kings in IPL 2024. 

MS Dhoni, who relinquished captaincy just a day before the start of IPL 2024, is once again playing the role of a finisher for CSK. He has made sure to leave his mark whenever he has arrived in the middle to bat. Dhoni has not faced too many balls in the middle but whatever amount of balls that he has faced, MSD has displayed his vintage self. 

Gautam Gambhir feels CSK deliberately wants MS Dhoni to face just 8-10 balls 

While speaking to Sportskeeda in a recent interview, Gautam Gambhir claimed that it is CSK's strategy to let MS Dhoni face just 8-10 balls. Gambhir is of the view that MSD has been given the freedom to go out and make the most out of the remaining deliveries of the innings. 

The 2-time IPL winning captain also claimed that MS Dhoni's usage in the final few balls is a strategy that CSK has been using for the last few seasons. And that freedom from CSK has allowed MSD to cause a terrific impact which has helped the franchise in more than one way.  

"It is a strategy of CSK (Dhoni facing just 8-10 balls) and that has given Dhoni the freedom. Different teams have different strategies and CSK has done this for the past 2-3 years. The freedom has allowed Dhoni to have an impact." - Gautam Gambhir said via Sportskeeda.

Gautam Gambhir then explained how this strategy of CSK works for MS Dhoni. Gambhir said that whenever a batsman goes out in the middle to face more than 15 balls, then he has the pressure and responsibility to build an innings. In that situation, batters are required to consolidate themselves in the middle and make sure they accelerate their knocks as the innings proceed. 

However, when a batsman is in a situation similar to MS Dhoni's - facing 8-10 balls, that pressure to consolidate an innings gets removed. Since the batter will face only a handful of balls, he can go out and smack every possible delivery with a lot of freedom.  

"When you play 20-25 balls you have that responsibility to consolidate, but when it's just 8-10 balls you can go out there and express yourself with freedom." - Gautam Gambhir added. 

MS Dhoni's numbers in IPL 2024 

In what is touted to be his final season in the Indian Premier League, MS Dhoni has only excelled in the role of a finisher. While his team might be struggling under Ruturaj Gaikwad's captaincy Dhoni's season has gone quite well. 

From 10 matches, MS Dhoni has scored 110 runs with a best of quickfire 37*. He has scored those 110 runs from 48 deliveries, which means he has scored 100+ runs from just 8 overs at a daunting strike rate of 229.17. He has an average of 110 only and has smashed 10 fours and 9 sixes along the way.