MS Dhoni to surprise fans with sensational batting shuffle in IPL 2024? Ex-CSK star spills beans

Former India and Chennai Super Kings batter Ambati Rayudu feels that MS Dhoni will not be batting at the top-order and instead back any youngster to bat in that slot in the upcoming 2024 edition of IPL. Rayudu made this claim during a press conference organized by IPL’s official TV broadcaster Star Sports earlier today.

There has been plenty of talk going around the town that the 17th IPL season will be MS Dhoni’s final one as a CSK player as well as captain. If that really is the case, fans are former cricketers have pleaded to Dhoni about batting up the order so that all of us can enjoy his batting a bit longer during matches. Last season he was coming down below the order after Ravindra Jadeja but this season fans are expecting him to shuffle his position.

Ambati Rayudu says only MS Dhoni knows what he will do

While speaking in the press conference, Ambati Rayudu was asked if fans could see MS Dhoni bat higher in the order, probably at the top order or not. To that, the 6-time IPL winner said that you never know what MSD does but given the type of person he is, he will be giving a youngster like Sameer Rizvi that chance to go high in the order.

Rayudu did indicate that Dhoni could bat a few positions higher than he did last season but he certainly won’t appear in the top-order.

“With Dhoni bhai, you never know. But knowing him and knowing what happened in the last few seasons, I am sure he will promote a youngster there. He may promote himself a number or two up, but not in the top order,” Rayudu said during the press conference. 

MS Dhoni, who played his 250th IPL match during the final last year against Gujarat Titans, has 5082 runs which he majorly scored for CSK and some of it for the Rising Pune Super Giants. Those 5000+ runs include 349 fours and 239 sixes with 24 half-centuries under his belt.

His most prolific season as a batter came during CSK’s return to IPL in 2018 after a 2-year hiatus due to corruption charges. MS Dhoni scored an outstanding 455 runs from 16 matches at a daunting strike rate of 150.66, averaging 75.83 including 3 half-centuries with a best of 79*. The very next year when he guided CSK to back-to-back finals with a hope to claim the title again, Dhoni had a 416-run season from 15 matches with a best 84* with another 3 half-centuries.

While the 2024 IPL season could well be his last, Dhoni might hope to have a similar season after a 2023 year where he scored just 104 runs while batting at 6 or 7.

CSK full squad for IPL 2024