Former Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) batter Manoj Tiwary criticized the coaching staff for lacking the courage to ask legendary MS Dhoni to bat higher in the order. Tiwary expressed these views after CSK suffered a 50-run defeat against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at MA Chidambaram Stadium marking their first loss to the Bangalore-based team at home since the inaugural season in 2008.
Dhoni came out to bat at No. 9, even after Ravichandran Ashwin had been dismissed. With only 28 balls left in the chase, there was not much he could influence. He unleashed his power in the final over, smashing Krunal Pandya for two sixes and a four. For Tiwary, holding Dhoni back was an illogical decision.
“It’s beyond my comprehension how a batter like MS Dhoni, who can remain unbeaten after scoring 30 off 16 balls, isn’t sent up the order. Aren’t you playing to win?” Manoj Tiwary told Cricbuzz.
“That CSK coaching staff lacks the courage to ask MS Dhoni to move up the order. Once he has made up his mind, that’s the end of it,” Tiwary added.
Tiwary Questions the Move, Sehwag Stands Firm
While Tiwary was puzzled by the decision, former Indian opener Virender Sehwag remained unfazed.
“This is a decision he and his team have made that he will only face a set number of deliveries. He usually comes in to bat around the 17th or 18th over, and this time was no different… I’m not surprised. Even if he had batted earlier, it wouldn’t have changed much considering how well RCB was playing,” Sehwag said during the discussion.
With the introduction of the ‘Impact Player’ rule, MS Dhoni’s batting position has been pushed further down the order. However, this was only the second time he batted at No. 9. The last instance was in the previous IPL season against Punjab Kings (PBKS), where Harshal Patel dismissed him for a golden duck.
Although CSK suffered a 50-run defeat to RCB at home, Dhoni still etched his name in the record books at Chepauk. He became CSK’s all-time leading run-scorer in IPL history, amassing 4,699 runs and surpassing Suresh Raina’s tally of 4,687 runs. The 43-year-old achieved this milestone in his 204th innings.
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