Sanjay Manjrekar was candid about MS Dhoni’s batting position in the 2024 Indian Premier League. KKR will be hosted by CSK.
In the current Indian Premier League (IPL), former Indian batter Sanjay Manjrekar wants renowned cricketer MS Dhoni to replicate his achievements from the 2023 season. In the 2023 season, the 42-year-old masterminded CSK’s joint-record sixth IPL title. On the eve of the IPL 2024 season, Dhoni resigned from his position as captain of CSK, and the reigning champions elevated Ruturaj Gaikwad to take charge of the Yellow Brigade.
There have been increasing calls for the legendary member of CSK to lead the top order in the league phase, since Dhoni is rumored to be capping up his legendary T20 career at the IPL 2024. Against Rishabh Pant’s Delhi Capitals in his opening batting match of the new season in Vizag, Dhoni turned the clock back. A boisterous audience in Visakhapatnam witnessed a masterful display of Dhoni’s batting as the Chennai team’s last over saw the veteran player destroy Anrich Nortje. Dhoni’s incredible knock, which went undefeated at 37 off just 16 balls, went viral online.
For CSK, the former captain of Chennai played just two balls in their subsequent encounter. Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) defeated CSK, led by Dhoni, by six wickets in the away match after they could only generate 165-5 in 20 overs. In light of CSK’s impending matchup with the reigning champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), legendary Indian cricketer Manjrekar offered his opinions on the hotly contested batting spot of Dhoni in the IPL 2024.
“I hope Dhoni does exactly what he did the previous season.”
This implies that he will have to beat out individuals such as Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, or Daryl Mitchell. Is it the appropriate decision? I’m Curious. Maybe not. I want him to do the same thing as the previous season. Few balls, maximum effect. Even in that particular match, he reached a 30-odd score in 16–17 balls. The things that make MS Dhoni great are his wicketkeeping, his cameos, and his role as a mentor to Ruturaj. It would not be a good idea to send him at No. 3 or No. 4, Manjrekar said to Star Sports.
What was Dhoni’s IPL 2023 performance like?
In 16 IPL 2023 matches, Dhoni scored 104 runs, including a career-high 32*. In his last season as Chennai’s captain, the wicketkeeper-batter batted at a strike rate of 182.45. At the IPL 2024, Dhoni has scored 38 runs in two innings for the reigning champions. At the Chepauk, Chennai Super Kings will try to snap their league losing streak when they take on an undefeated KKR team.
