MS Dhoni’s return to captaincy was much talked about in the lead up to the Chennai Super Kings’s vs Kolkata Knight Riders at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Friday.
After CSK’s season went from bad to worse post losing their regular captain Ruturaj Gaikwad to an elbow injury that has ruled him out of Indian Premier League 2025, the franchise turned to their talisman to lead them out of the downward spiral.
Win win?
While the toss didn’t go his way – KKR won the toss and chose to bowl first – it seems Dhoni got what he wanted from today’s game. Speaking to Ravi Shastri after being put into bat first, MS Dhoni said: “We were looking to bat first. Quite a few occasions where we tried to chase it down and what we realised is that the wicket slows down a bit, so if you don’t get a good start then the middle order comes under pressure.”
He will be without the best batsman in the team and Dhoni acknowledged his absence. “He (Gaikwad) has fractured something on his elbow, so he is ruled out of the tournament. He is a very authentic batter, someone who looks to time the ball well. So yeah, he will be a big miss,” Dhoni said.
He also added that winning against KKR was very important, stating: “It is important now, every game is important. We have lost too many matches and now it is important to do the basics right – have dot balls, take our catches. A couple of games we lost by big margins, but otherwise it was about the small things – about one over going for 20 runs. Our batters are more authentic as batters, they won’t slog everything. They just need to back their instincts. It is important to start well, get boundaries early on and try to get a couple of early wickets as well.”
Tough season
The 5-time champions have endured a tough season despite starting strongly. They won their opening fixture against Mumbai Indians, at home, but followed that victory with four defeats on the trot leading up to the game against KKR. CSK has struggled in all aspects as they have failed to chase targets, restrict opponents with the ball, and field efficiently.
These shortcomings have piled up and this has resulted in the Chennai side sitting ninth in the IPL table. They will hope with the change in captaincy, the team is revitalised and chases a highly unlikely playoff spot.
In a 10-team league, 16 points is the minimum threshold for a chance at a playoff spot. This means, CSK will have to win 7 of their remaining 9 matches.
If there is one man who can deliver the good for them, CSK will hope Dhoni brings his midas touch for the remainder of the IPL.
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