April 15, 2025: Former India spinner Harbhajan Singh lauded MS Dhoni’s match-winning performance in Chennai Super Kings’ (CSK) five-wicket victory over Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in the ongoing IPL 2025 season. Dhoni, who had been under scrutiny for batting lower down the order, was at his tactical best in the match that ended CSK’s five-match losing streak.
The Super Kings were in dire straits during their chase of 167, finding themselves at 111/5 with 56 runs still needed from the last five overs. But Dhoni, who came in when the situation demanded, turned the game around. He blasted 26 runs off 11 balls, including four boundaries and a six, ensuring Chennai could cross the line.
Praising his former teammate, Harbhajan Singh, who played with Dhoni for many years in the Indian team, referred to him as “Baahubali,” a reference to the famous Indian film character known for his strategic brilliance and calm leadership.
“MS Dhoni is Baahubali. We say this because he knows what to do. He came to bat at the right place and at the right time, putting the pressure back on Lucknow. When Dhoni takes the captaincy role, he is completely different. The team under him plays differently,” Harbhajan said on his YouTube channel.
Harbhajan was mesmerized by Dhoni’s leadership and tactical approach during the match, highlighting how Dhoni’s experience and calm demeanor under pressure made all the difference in CSK’s turnaround. He also emphasized how Dhoni’s captaincy elevates the entire team, transforming them into a formidable force.
Apart from Dhoni’s brilliance, Harbhajan also pointed out several tactical errors made by LSG, particularly their management of David Miller and Ravi Bishnoi. Harbhajan felt that Lucknow made a mistake by sending young players like Badoni and Abdul Samad ahead of a proven match-winner like Miller.
“I think the management made a mistake by sending Badoni early and then Abdul Samad while David Miller was present. He (Miller) is a proven match-winner, and he can take the game away from the opposition, but they didn’t send him early,” he said.
Harbhajan also critiqued LSG skipper Rishabh Pant for not using leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi in the final overs, especially when he was having a successful spell with 2 wickets for just 18 runs from his three overs. With 56 runs needed off 30 balls, Harbhajan believed Bishnoi could have been used to break the partnership and slow down CSK’s chase.
“One tactical mistake Pant made was that Bishnoi had one over left. With almost 50 runs required in five overs, Bishnoi should have bowled his over. He used fast bowlers with the tactic of bowling on wide yorker length,” Harbhajan added.
Despite the tactical errors, it was MS Dhoni’s leadership and match-finishing ability that proved to be the difference as Chennai Super Kings bounced back to winning ways in IPL 2025.
The victory not only halted their losing streak but also reinvigorated CSK’s campaign, proving once again that with Dhoni at the helm, the team can never be counted out.