IPL 2021: MS Dhoni Has To Take A Few Calls About His Batting Order - Sunil Gavaskar Suggests CSK Skipper To Bat Higher Up The Order After Losing Game Against Delhi Capitals

Former India captain, Sunil Gavaskar opined that MS Dhoni was batting one or two slots lower in the batting order on Saturday against Delhi Capitals than he should. The Chennai Super Kings skipper came to bat at number 7 and registered a 2-ball duck – he was dismissed by pacer Avesh Khan inside-edging his pull to a back-of-length delivery onto the stumps.

Moeen Ali and Ravindra Jadeja batted ahead of Dhoni as even Suresh Raina was shifted down to number 4 from his regular number three spot. This move kept the left-right combination going for CSK as Sam Curran came at number eight, and hit a few lusty blows to propel CSK’s score to 188, which proved par as the Capitals gunned it down with 8 balls to spare.

Sunil Gavaskar reckons MS Dhoni is thinking to bat in the gung-ho fashion in the death overs, and hence he came at number 7. However, the former India opener believes that Dhoni, who hasn’t played any domestic cricket since the IPL last year, should come up in the order, take his time, and guide the youngsters as well.

“I think as far as CSK is concerned, MS Dhoni also has to take a few calls about his batting order. He came down and he thinks maybe he should bat only for the last four-five overs. But I think he also needs to guides the team a little bit. He has a team of youngsters, some of them are pretty young,” Sunil Gavaskar told Star Sports.

“Even Sam Curran is not too old as far as international cricket is concerned, and he batted so well. So, yes, maybe he look at having Sam Curran up the batting order at no. 3 or 4 just like he was in the UAE,” he added.

As the tournament progresses, he has to bat at 6 or 5: Sunil Gavaskar

The 71-year-old asserted that while there is not much to worry about Dhoni’s duck on Saturday, however, Sunil Gavaskar feels, the wicket-keeper batsman has to promote himself at number 6 or 5 going forward in the tournament.

The 39-year-old skipper had an underwhelming season with the bat last year as well – in IPL 2020, in the UAE, where CSK failed to qualify for the playoffs for the first time, MS Dhoni disappointingly scored 200 runs at a strike rate of 116.27. They face KL Rahul rechristened Punjab Kings on Friday.

“But Dhoni also has to come up the batting order somewhere down the line. Because that is the way he will be able to control it. He was out on the 2nd ball he faced today, that can happen to anybody. But as the tournament progresses, he has to come at a little bit higher, maybe at 6, maybe at 5, and show the way,” the former opener maintained.

Also Read: IPL 2021: MS Dhoni Fined Rs 12 Lakhs For Chennai’s Slow Over-Rate Against Delhi Capitals