'MS Dhoni coming at No.9 didn't make sense at all': CSK legend's unpopular call leaves Uthappa, Pathan baffled

In a high-voltage encounter at Chepauk, Chennai Super Kings not only crumbled to a 50-run defeat against Royal Challengers Bengaluru but also left fans and experts puzzled with their batting decision of MS Dhoni walking in at No. 9, when the match was already almost beyond reach. MS Dhoni coming to bat at No.9 did not please cricket fans and experts. (AFP)

Chasing a daunting 197, CSK never recovered from a nightmare start, losing Ruturaj Gaikwad for a duck and slipping to 8/2 inside two overs. Rachin Ravindra (41) and Sam Curran attempted to stabilize the innings, but their struggle to keep pace with the mounting required rate only deepened CSK’s woes.

Yet, as wickets tumbled, the sight of Dhoni still padded up in the dugout raised eyebrows.

When Yash Dayal’s twin strikes in the 13th over dismissed Ravindra and Shivam Dube, CSK’s hopes took a major dash. But instead of Dhoni, out walked Ravichandran Ashwin – sent ahead despite a required rate of over 16 runs per over. It was only in the 18th over, with the game all but gone, that Dhoni finally walked out to bat.

While he did smash 30 off 16 balls, including three fours and two sixes, it felt like an innings of statistical relevance rather than impact.

Former cricketers and fans took to social media, questioning CSK’s thought process. Had Dhoni been promoted ahead of Ashwin and the others, his experience and finishing prowess may have at least given the five-time champions a fighting chance. Irfan Pathan, the former India all-rounder, criticised the move, writing, “I will never be in favour of Dhoni batting at number 9. Not ideal for team.”

Robin Uthappa, who shared the dressing room with Dhoni at CSK and also won an IPL title under his captaincy, was also critical of the decision.

“Important win for RCB. A win at the fortress in Chepauk will be a huge boost in their campaign this year. Dhoni coming at number 9 dint make sense at all. Him coming earlier could have helped CSK’s NRR in their campaign this year,” wrote Uthappa.

Dhoni smashed two successive sixes against Krunal Pandya in the final over of the match, when the equation was already mathematically impossible for CSK to make a comeback.

Here are the two sixes from the Super Kings' legend.

Watch:

In a game where momentum is key, RCB seized their opportunities with a disciplined bowling display. Josh Hazlewood (3/21) set the tone early, while Dayal (2/18) and Impact Sub Suyash Sharma kept CSK’s batters under pressure.

RCB’s total of 196/7, powered by Rajat Patidar’s 51 and a late flourish from Tim David (22 off 8), proved far too steep for a CSK side that never really got going.

While CSK’s first home defeat to RCB since 2008 was a bitter pill to swallow, it is the lingering question of Dhoni’s batting position that might haunt them more than the loss itself.

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