MS Dhoni plays a shot during his cameo of 30 runs off just 16 balls during CSK's match against RCB on Friday (March 28) at the Chepauk stadium in Chennai. Photo: PTI
Nobody has the guts to ask Dhoni to bat up the order, says ex-cricketer Manoj Tiwary
He said it was beyond his understanding how a batter like Dhoni, who stayed unbeaten on 30 off 16 balls against RCB on Friday, could not move up the order
After the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) lost to the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) by a 50-run margin on Friday (March 28), former India cricketer Manoj Tiwary slammed CSK’s coaching staff for “not having the courage” to promote Dhoni up the batting order.
Facing a target of 197, CSK’s top order failed as the team lost two wickets in the second over and managed a paltry 30 for 3 in the PowerPlay. The batters struggled to build momentum as the asking rate kept rising, with the RCB bowlers doing a good job of choking the flow of runs.
As the wickets continued to fall and the required run rate rose to almost 15 per over, Dhoni was held back until number 9, a decision that Tiwary and many fans found difficult to comprehend.
Also Read: CSK vs RCB: List of biggest defeats for CSK after record 50-run loss
Speaking to Cricbuzz, Tiwary said the coaching staff “lacked the guts” to ask the former skipper to bat higher where his immense experience might have turned things around for the team.
“It’s beyond my understanding how a batter like MS Dhoni, who can stay unbeaten after scoring 30 off 16 balls, why not move up the order? You are playing to win, right?” said Tiwary.
“That coaching staff, they do not have the guts to tell MS Dhoni to move up the order. Once he has decided, that’s it,” Tiwary added.
Dhoni finally went in to bat during the 16th over, and hit two sixes off Krunal Pandya in the final over. But the match was a lost cause for CSK by then, and RCB pulled off a 50-run win for their first victory over CSK at Chepauk since 2008.
Sehwag’s contrasting view
Former India opener Virender Sehwag, speaking on the same show, differed with Tiwary and said Dhoni coming in earlier would not have made much difference to the outcome of the match given the way RCB dominated the game on Friday.
Sehwag said Dhoni throughout his career had decided to bat lower, and he remained consistent with this decision regardless of the match situation.
Also Read: Dhoni sets record despite CSK's heavy defeat to RCB in Chennai
“This is something he and his team have decided. That he will only play a certain number of balls. He always comes to bat during the 17th or 18th over, he came at the same situation. I am not surprised. It’s not like if he had come out to bat earlier, anything about this match would have changed because of the way RCB was playing,” said Sehwag.
