MS Dhoni at No. 9? Former cricketers say it 'didn't make sense'

TOI Sports Desk / TIMESOFINDIA.COM / Updated: Mar 29, 2025, 09:29 IST

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Chennai Super Kings faced a 50-run defeat against Royal Challengers Bangalore at Chepauk, marking their first home loss to RCB in 17 years. Criticism arose over MS Dhoni's delayed arrival at the crease, with experts suggesting this decision impacted CSK’s chances of a successful chase. With back-to-back away wins against defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders and Chennai Super Kings, RCB have made a strong start to their IPL campaign, eyeing their maiden title.

MS Dhoni at No. 9? Former cricketers say it 'didn't make sense'

MS Dhoni (Image credit: BCCI/IPL)

NEW DELHI: Chennai Super Kings (CSK) suffered a 50-run defeat against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) at Chepauk, their first home loss to RCB in 17 years. Chasing 197, CSK struggled to build momentum and finished at 146/8 in 20 overs. Captain Rajat Patidar’s 51 anchored Bengaluru’s innings, propelling them to 196-7 despite Afghan left-arm spinner Noor Ahmad dismissing the dangerous Phil Salt early and Virat Kohli in the middle overs. Kohli contributed 31 off 30 balls.
A revamped RCB pace attack, featuring Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Josh Hazlewood, put Chennai under early pressure, restricting them in the powerplay. Hazlewood struck twice in his first over, dismissing Rahul Tripathi and Chennai captain Ruturaj Gaikwad with mistimed pull shots before removing Ravindra Jadeja with another short ball.

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Kumar found Deepak Hooda’s outside edge, while Yash Dayal further dented CSK’s chase, reducing them to 80-6 in the 13th over with the wickets of Shivam Dube (19) and top-scorer Rachin Ravindra (41).

Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s quickfire 30* off 16 balls only narrowed the margin of defeat.
Many fans and experts believe Dhoni’s presence earlier in the batting order could have made a difference. However, in a surprising move, he was sent in at number 9—a decision that sparked widespread criticism.
Former cricketer Robin Uthappa expressed his disappointment over Dhoni's late arrival at the crease, questioning the strategy on social media. He suggested that CSK may have missed a vital opportunity by holding back their most seasoned finisher.
"Important win for RCB. A win at the fortress in Chepauk will be a huge boost in their campaign this year. Dhoni coming at number 9 dint make sense at all. Him coming earlier could have helped CSK’s NRR in their campaign this year," Uthappa posted on X.

Former Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan also weighed in on the debate, expressing his dissatisfaction with Dhoni batting so low in the order.

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Taking to social media, Pathan questioned the decision, hinting that CSK may have missed a key chance to turn the game around.
"I will never be in favour of Dhoni batting at number 9. Not ideal for team," Pathan said.

With back-to-back away wins against defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders and Chennai Super Kings, RCB have made a strong start to their IPL campaign, eyeing their maiden title.

Get the latest IPL 2025 updates on Times of India, including match schedules, team squads, points table and IPL live score for CSK, MI, RCB, KKR, SRH, LSG, DC, GT, PBKS, and RR. Don't miss the list of players in the race for IPL Orange Cap and IPL Purple cap.

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