Legendary South African batsman AB de Villiers has urged the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) to promote MS Dhoni in the batting order. De Villiers believes Dhoni, despite his late-innings heroics, should be given more time at the crease to maximize his impact.
Praising Dhoni’s current form in IPL 2024, De Villiers said on his YouTube channel, “At what point do we think that maybe he is good enough to go out at No. 5 or No. 6. I am not saying go and bat at No. 3. But just give yourself a few more deliveries. You are so destructive as a batter. You can win games for CSK, you have done so for so many years.” De Villiers pointed to Dhoni’s impressive performances.
‘MS Dhoni – best finisher by a country mile’: De Villiers
Dhoni, at 42, has impressed with his limited opportunities, scoring 87 runs at a staggering strike rate of 255.88. This is the best strike rate in the tournament for batsmen with over 60 runs. De Villiers labeled the former CSK captain as the best finisher in the entire IPL 2024. “He is the most destructive batter still for CSK after all these years. The best finisher by a country mile, at the moment, I think in the entire IPL,” he added.
Apart from this, the ex-RCB batsman even acknowledged Dhoni’s workload management, suggesting he might be prioritizing giving younger players a chance.
“Yeah, I understand he is a guy who is not playing a lot of cricket these days. He comes in, prepares for the IPL and that’s all he plays. So, maybe him batting down the order has come from himself thinking that he is not in such great form. Maybe the younger guys, who play 12 months of the year, deserve a chance to bat up the order,” De Villiers said.
CSK management now faces a tough decision. Do they stick with their current strategy of giving youngsters a platform, or do they capitalize on Dhoni’s rich vein of form by moving him up the order?
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