Former India captain Gautam Gambhir said MS Dhoni failed to lead the Chennai Super Kings from the front during their 16-run loss to the Rajasthan Royals in the 2020 Indian Premier League (IPL) tie in Sharjah on Tuesday.
Gautam Gambhir criticized MS Dhoni’s approach to the 217-race chase, saying his final flourish was futile. Gambhir said that if any other captain had done something similar, he would have received much more criticism.
Gambhir’s comments come later Dhoni came up with a stranger approach when CSK failed in its pursuit against RR at Sharjah Stadium. Dhoni dropped in on the order and sent the likes of Sam Curran, newcomer Ruturaj Gaikwad and Kedar Jadhav even as the order rate rose sharply.
IPL Points Table 2020
When Dhoni finally came in at No. 7 at 15th, CSK needed more than 100. Dhoni showed no signs of urgency as he was happy, hitting singles. Dhoni completed 9 of 12 at the end of 18 and hit his first six in 20. Dhoni followed with 2 more big sixes in the end, but CSK had already lost the match.
“Look, if someone else had done this, someone else [batsman] If the captain had hit No. 7, he would have received a lot of criticism. It’s MS Dhoni, probably the reason why people don’t talk about it, “Gambhir told ESPNCricinfo.
“When you don’t have Suresh Raina, you’re making people believe that Sam Curran is better than you. You’re making people believe that Ruturaj Gaikwad, Curran, Kedar Jadhav, Faf du Plessis, M Vijay, all these guys, they’re better than you
“MS Dhoni hitting No. 7? And sending [Ruturaj] Gaikwad before him, Sam Curran before him. It doesn’t make any sense to me. In fact, he should lead from the front. And this is not what you call leading from the front.
Hitting No. 7 when you’re chasing what … 213 [217]? Game over. Faf was probably the lone warrior. Yes you can talk about the latest MS Dhoni over [when he hit three sixes], but it was no use to be honest. It was just personal careers. “
Coach Fleming backs Dhoni after RR’s defeat
MS Dhoni had defended his decision to hit No. 7, saying he didn’t have much game practice in the run-up to his draw against RR. Dhoni also said that the early stages of the tournament give them a chance to experiment with their team mix.
“I haven’t hit in a long time. The 14-day quarantine doesn’t help. I also wanted to try different things, give Sam opportunities. To have a chance to try different things. If it doesn’t work, you can always go back to your strengths,” Dhoni said .
Head coach Stephen Fleming also backed Dhoni, saying it will take a bit of time to see the CSK captain in his prime at the 2020 IPL.
“We have this question every year. He was 12th (14), which is a pretty optimal time, and he kind of hit accordingly,” Fleming said after CSK’s loss.
“He’s coming back from not having played much cricket, so the expectations of seeing him at his best is going to take some time.”
