“If it takes 15 runs from the last one, the pressure is on the pitcher and not on MS Dhoni,” Ian Bishop had once said. MS Dhoni, known as one of the best, if not the best, in the modern game, made sure that the team he played for absorbed his never-say-die attitude.
Over the years, MS Dhoni’s reputation as a finalist only grew as he appeared in yellow for the Chennai Super Kings and continued to pull off those miraculous chases. Opposing teams always knew it wasn’t over until it ended when they played the Super Kings.
IPL 2020 – Points Table
Be it the 2010 blockbuster in Dharamsala, or the ‘comeback’ win over the Mumbai Indians in 2018 or the cameos against RCB at M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Dhoni and CSK got used to finishing close chases with enviable consistency. Over the years, Chennai fans have enjoyed the experience of witnessing those thrilling victories.
However, the tried and tested ‘Dhoni model’ appears to be failing CSK at IPL 2020. Without its chief enforcer, Suresh Raina, CSK’s batting unit has seemed a shadow of what it once was.
Midway through the new season in the UAE, CSK has scrapped what can be called routine pursuits by their standards with a gruesome focus on the middle.
Mid-inning totals telling CSK’s story from IPL 2020
CSK has yet to hit first in the tournament, but in 7 chases they have only managed 2 wins. Let’s take a look at your scores on the midway marks of your failed chases.
82 for 4 in 10 overs, chasing 217 vs. RR – Lost by 16 runs
47 out of 3 out of 10 overs, chasing 176 vs. DC – Lost by 44 runs
44 for 4 out of 10 overs, chasing 165 vs. SRH – Lost by 7 runs
90 for 1 in 10 overs, chasing 168 vs KKR – Lost by 10 runs
47 of 2 in 10 overs, chasing 170 vs RCB – Lost by 37 runs
Barring the chase against Kolkata Knight Riders, which drastically slowed down after the 10th final, CSK has shown no intention after the power play. With Shane Watson hitting and missing and Faf du Plessis facing too much pressure to be the executor at the top, Chennai has made a mess of chases so far at IPL 2020.
Between overs from 6 to 14, Chennai has lost games in almost all of its failed chases. Kedar Jadhav, who faced severe criticism for serving 7 of 12 balls against KKR, was eliminated for the RCB game on Friday. But nothing changed. Young N Jagadeesan, who replaced Jadhav, managed a 64-run position with Ambati Rayudu, but the duo took 52 balls on difficult hitting ground where only Virat Kohli could wield magic.
MS Dhoni showed intent when he went into batting at 14, but the ordering rate was too much for even a finisher of his quality. A failure in the higher order and a slowdown in the middle order saw RCB claim their biggest win of the season as CSK fell to their fifth loss.
When Dhoni admitted that the Dhoni model already works
In the post-match ceremony following the loss to familiar rivals RCB, Dhoni finally acknowledged that his model of leaving it to the end is not working this season.
“Batting has been a bit worrying and today it was also evident. We have to do something about it. We can’t keep showing up … It’s almost the same thing that is happening, maybe the individuals are different but I think it’s better to play the other way around: play the big shots and even if you go out and that’s fine because we can’t drop too many after the 15th or 16th, “Dhoni said.
“Our hitting has lacked a bit of, you can say, more power from the 6th onwards, guys get tentative and no matter how much confidence I’m giving them, they ultimately have to have their own plan on how to play. We have not been able to adapt and plan for 6-14 overs bowlers. “
Can CSK turn it around in the second half?
Dhoni asking CSK to get rid of the Dhoni model is not surprising. Dhoni’s personal form after more than a year out of competitive action has been a cause for concern when it comes to getting those late raises. Openers don’t consistently get their desired stats.
In the absence of Raina and Rayudu’s concerns about injuries, CSK’s middle order has not had a hitter capable of taking risks and clearing limits at will in the middle. Management is not showing enough faith in Dwayne Bravo’s hitting skills, especially after he returned from injury. Sam Curran and Ravindra Jadeja have often had too much to do.
CSK is not out of the race yet. But the road ahead seems uphill even for a side that is known for sneaking into the play-offs. It remains to be seen whether ending the Dhoni model will help reverse their fortunes.
