The firepower that comes out of MS Dhoni’s willow has been a widely talked about topic. His performances with the bat have been particularly outstanding in the 2024 season for the Indian Premier League where the legendary batter has been able to produce a profound impact despite being in the middle for such a short period.
Speaking on MS Dhoni’s role as the designated finisher for the side was none other than his former India teammate, two-time IPL winner and currently the mentor for the Kolkata Knight Riders, Gautam Gambhir who shared his thoughts on the former Indian skipper’s role with the defending champions.
Speaking in a video uploaded by Sportskeeda Cricket, Gambhir suggested that having such a short period to bat can allow the batter to play with much more freedom. He believed that when you have to bat for longer, there tends to be pressure on the batter to build his innings and carry through to the end.
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“See that is the team’s strategy. I would like to think that Dhoni playing for just 8-10 balls allows him to play with absolute freedom. It tends to work in your favour as well as opposed to playing 25-30 balls where you will be expected to build your innings,” said the former Indian opening batter.
The former KKR skipper also highlighted the positives that come with the role especially when it turns in favour of the team. He also highlighted that Dhoni’s reduced time with the bat has been the plan for the Chennai-based franchise for the past few years as well.
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“If you can create that impact in such a short period, that is good for the team. Other teams will have a different strategy but for CSK this has been the plan for the last 3-4 years,” he added.
In IPL 2024, Dhoni has scored a total of 110 runs with his highest score being an unbeaten 37. His current tally for the season has come in just 48 balls, with an average of 110 and a strike rate of 229.16.
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In Chennai’s previous game against the Punjab Kings, Dhoni came out to bat at number 7 but was not able to score at the pace we have been used to owing to the fine planning by the opposition where he had to face spin in the penultimate over by Rahul Chahar. He was run out in the final over and departed after scoring 14 in 11 balls.
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