During a recent IPL 2024 match between Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Punjab Kings (PBKS) at the scenic Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium, a surprising decision was made regarding MS Dhoni’s batting order position. For the first time in his distinguished T20 career, the CSK stalwart came in to bat at number 9.
The strategic choice raised eyebrows, especially given Dhoni’s form, as the iconic player was dismissed for a golden duck by Harshal Patel’s crafty off-cutter on the final ball of the penultimate over. The delivery, which dipped sufficiently to elude Dhoni’s bat, ended his brief stint at the crease and left fans and spectators in dismay.
Former India spinner Harbhajan Singh openly critiqued the team’s decision on his YouTube channel, questioning the logic behind sending Dhoni in so late. Harbhajan remarked, “I don’t understand, he is in such good form and he is coming so low in the batting order to bat. He got dismissed on the first ball but I was hopeful that he would come in place of Mitchell Santner in the 14th over. He could have made a big impact. I don’t understand why is he coming so low in the batting order. At no. 9 a bowler comes to bat not a player like Dhoni who has the calibre as well as the form to score runs. It was hard to understand what was the strategy behind that decision.”
While the strategy may have baffled fans and commentators alike, the match did see Dhoni achieve a historic milestone by becoming the first player ever to complete 150 catches in the IPL. His record-setting catch dismissed Jitesh Sharma for a duck. Despite the batting lineup’s struggles, CSK managed to defend their score of 168, restricting PBKS to 139/9, and secured a 28-run victory.
