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MS Dhoni, the former captain of the Chennai Super Kings (CSK), has come under fire from cricket experts for his decision to bat at No. 9 in a recent match against the Punjab Kings (PBKS). Dhoni's batting position has been a subject of debate throughout the 2024 IPL season, with many believing that he should be batting higher up the order.
Despite Dhoni's impressive strike rate of 224.49 and boundary rate of just three balls, he has been reluctant to bat up the order. This has led to criticism from experts, who argue that Dhoni's strategy will not work for CSK in the long term, especially if they make the playoffs.
In the match against PBKS, Dhoni walked out at No. 9 for the first time in his career, with Mitchell Santner and Shardul Thakur batting ahead of him. This decision left former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan furious, who said that it was not helping the team's cause.
Pathan urged someone from the CSK management to have a word with Dhoni on his batting position and convince him to bat at least four overs for the team. He said that Dhoni's decision to bat at No. 9 was not acceptable and that he should be dropped from the playing XI if he wants to continue batting lower down the order.
Former India cricketer Harbhajan Singh also criticized Dhoni's decision, saying that it was better to include a fast bowler than him in the playing XI if he wants to continue batting at No. 9. Singh said that Dhoni is the decision-maker and has let down his team by not coming out to bat higher up the order.
Dhoni's decision to bat at No. 9 has raised questions about his future with CSK. Some experts believe that he should retire from the IPL, while others believe that he should continue playing but bat higher up the order. It remains to be seen what Dhoni will decide, but his batting position will continue to be a topic of debate for the rest of the 2024 IPL season.