MS Dhoni’s goodbye journey in IPL 2024 is causing some trouble for the Chennai Super Kings.
On May 29, 2023, the Chennai Super Kings won the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 championship by defeating the Gujarat Titans in an exciting match. After the intense game, the fans saw a memorable moment when MS Dhoni lifted Ravindra Jadeja in celebration. The atmosphere at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad was electric as Dhoni led CSK to their fifth IPL title. However, there was also sadness in the air as many believed Dhoni might retire soon. Despite this, Dhoni surprised everyone by announcing that he would play in the next season as a gift to the fans. The crowd cheered loudly in approval. In 2024, CSK faced some challenges during Dhoni’s farewell tour.
In the IPL 2024 season, Dhoni gave up being the captain of CSK just before the tournament. Ruturaj Gaikwad took over as the captain instead. Before, Ravindra Jadeja had tried but failed to replace Dhoni as the CSK captain in 2022. But this time, Gaikwad had the support of fans and the team management. They believed he was the right choice for the future.
However, people kept talking about how much influence Dhoni would still have on the team during matches. Dhoni is known as a brilliant strategist in cricket. He has shown in the past that he can change the course of a game with his smart decisions. So, discussions about Dhoni’s role continued, making some wonder if Gaikwad would have full control over the team.
When Dhoni was leading the team, he wasn’t performing well as a batter. But in 2023, he became known for his ability to finish matches with a high strike rate. He was famous for coming in to bat when the team needed him the most and scoring quickly.
However, in the 2024 IPL, people are confused about how Dhoni is being used as a batter. He didn’t bat in the first two matches, and in the third match, he came in to bat after other players. Even though he scored 37 runs off 16 balls in that match, he couldn’t handle the pressure, and his team lost by 20 runs. This is different from how he played in 2023, where he was known for being the team’s best finisher.
In the last few matches, Jadeja has been batting before Dhoni again. Even though the crowd doesn’t react differently, people keep asking: “Where’s Thala when the team needs him?” Dhoni has batted in different positions over the years, from No. 3 to No. 7, depending on what the team needed. But batting at No. 8 for CSK, he doesn’t get enough time to show his powerful batting skills.
In today’s cricket, teams want wicket-keepers who can also bat well. Lucknow Super Giants have KL Rahul, Quinton De Kock, and Nicholas Pooran batting together. Rajasthan Royals have Dhruv Jurel and Jos Buttler. But CSK doesn’t have any other registered wicket-keeping option apart from Dhoni on their official website. If Dhoni gets injured, it could be a big problem because Devon Conway isn’t available, and youngster Aravelly Avanish Rao seems to be the only backup option.
Even though having Dhoni as a leader helps CSK, they could have managed with a mentor too. CSK started well this year, but Dhoni’s role in the team has confused some experts and fans. When Dhoni missed an easy catch against Kolkata Knight Riders, it wasn’t a big deal for his great career, but it hinted at a bigger issue: Is Dhoni’s farewell tour causing problems for CSK?
