"He bats down the order because..."- Dwayne Bravo on Why MS Dhoni doesn't bat up the order
The five-time champion Chennai Super Kings have done a decent job in the ongoing season of the Indian Premier League and are in the top four with five wins in eight games. After a disappointing performance last season, CSK and skipper MS Dhoni have bounced back pretty well.
Though some of their key players are injured, Dhoni has used the limited resources brilliantly. Not just with his captaincy, MSD has also made some cameos in the IPL 2023. But the CSK skipper hasn't gotten the chance due to his low batting position.
MS Dhoni bats at No. 7 or 8, and in some games, he doesn't get a chance to bat either. Just like the last game against the Rajasthan Royals on Thursday, when CSK ended up at 170/6, chasing a mammoth target of 203. MSD was sitting with his helmet on in the dugout but didn't get a chance to bat.
In every CSK game, fans come in large numbers to support CSK and MS Dhoni and want to watch the skipper bat. But some fans do wonder why Dhoni doesn't promote himself up the order to bat.
Former CSK star turned bowling coach Dwayne Bravo was also asked the same question in the pre-match press conference of the RR vs CSK game. He explained why Dhoni doesn't promote himself.
Bravo said, "That is the position he has to bat. Everyone is batting higher than him and he takes that responsibility and ownership upon himself to bat lower down the order because the likes of Jadeja, Rayudu, and Dube, he wants to give these guys as many opportunities as possible. He is happy to just play the finishing role."
CSK lost the game against RR by 32 runs; it was their second defeat against Rajasthan this season. They will now play the Punjab Kings on Sunday in their next game at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.