Chennai Super Kings (CSK) legendary player MS Dhoni has faced criticism for not being able to win matches for his team in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025. His batting position and struggle to keep up with the required run rate have made some former cricketers talk about the 43-year-old possibly retiring. The five-time IPL winner will look to prove himself when CSK travel to play against the Punjab Kings (PBKS) in Chandigarh on April 8.
Before the match, PBKS’s leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal said he senses only two to three percent of what Dhoni is thinking. While Dhoni has observed Chahal’s rise from behind the stumps during international matches, the league’s all-time leading wicket-taker seems to have a strategy ready for his ex-skipper.
“Mahi bhai has seen me bowl from behind the stumps for many years. He knows my bowling style, how I think, and what I usually do. I can understand — maybe just 2 or 3 percent — of what Mahi bhai is thinking. I know the kind of situation when he comes out to bat. If he walks in between overs 1 to 10, we know we need to go on the attack. But if he comes in during the later part of the match, we already have a clear idea of what he’ll try to do. We make our plans based on that. You can’t give him an easy ball — if you do, he’ll send it out of the park.” Chahal said.
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Dhoni has scored 76 runs in four innings so far in the tournament. However, his performances have come in losing causes. He faced criticism for batting at number 9 during the run chase against RCB, as he came out to bat after Ravichandran Ashwin when the required run rate was already too high to manage.
Chahal, who was bought for a huge sum of Rs 18 crore, hasn’t been in great form either. He has taken just one wicket in three matches. In PBKS’s opening game against Gujarat Titans, he went wicketless and gave away 34 runs in three overs. In the match against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), he took the important wicket of Nicholas Pooran but conceded 36 runs in four overs. He bowled better against Rajasthan Royals, giving away 32 runs in three overs, although PBKS lost that match, their first defeat of the season.
Chahal has been fairly successful against CSK, having claimed 19 wickets in 17 matches, with an average of 23.26. His economy rate stands at a solid 6.90 runs per over, which is notable given his time at Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). Bowling at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, a ground known for its batter-friendly conditions, he has still managed to keep his figures in check.
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