S Badrinath has a dry-wit humour. The one-liner he posted on X (erstwhile Twitter) was perfectly timed. “Rutu rocked, fans shocked at the toss?” wrote the former India, Tamil Nadu and Chennai Super Kings batter.
CSK batting coach Michael Hussey’s cryptic comment at the pre-match press conference had triggered the speculation. “He is (MS Dhoni) behind the stumps. Maybe, he can do a good job. I’m not sure. He has got a bit of experience in the role, so maybe he could do it. But I’m not exactly sure, to be honest,” Hussey told reporters on the eve of the CSK versus Delhi Capitals game.
In Dhoni’s case, reading between the lines is the go-to option for the majority of the hacks, in absence of any clear-cut communication. With Ruturaj Gaikwad, CSK’s regular captain, nursing a right forearm injury, Hussey didn’t rule out the possibility of Dhoni assuming the leadership role again, albeit as a one-off. Fans became excited. Social media went into a meltdown.
Gaikwad had suffered the injury during the match against Rajasthan Royals. He didn’t train in the lead-up to Saturday’s fixture. Dhoni captaining the five-time IPL champions once again and marking the occasion in fine style by announcing his retirement at Chepauk — from fans’ perspective it was a heady cocktail.
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As the toss time approached, faces in the stands became taut. The mercury hovered around 32 degrees Celsius (the real feel was much warmer) and the relative humidity was 74 per cent. But Chepauk was still pretty full, in expectation of ‘Thala’ leading the home team. Gaikwad walked out for the toss instead. He was passed fit to play the game. From a fan point of view, it was a damp squib.
Suddenly the mood changed. Dhoni’s parents, Pan Singh and Devaki Devi, were spotted in the stands. It offered a novelty and raised the curiosity quotient exponentially. Keyboard warriors became hyperactive on social media. #DhoniRetirement immediately started trending.
His every move was followed. Was he giving the team-talk in the pre-game huddle? Dhoni was an avid listener instead. Then, in the second over, as Capitals batted, a Mukesh Choudhary delivery missed Abhishek Porel’s bat by miles and went to the boundary via Dhoni’s big gloves. The on-field umpire somehow missed the gap and awarded the four in favour of the batter. Technically a dropped catch? No chance. For even if Dhoni had caught it, Porel would have survived on review. It was, in fact, a wide not given. Dhoni didn’t complain.
DC’s innings ebbed and flowed before coming to almost a flat line in the final over. Dhoni had a quiet afternoon behind the stumps until a pinpoint Ravindra Jadeja throw arrived for him to collect it and whip the bails off in a flash. Ashutosh Sharma was still a couple of yards short of his ground. Chepauk roared.
Things have changed over the years. CSK were almost unbeatable on their home patch, when Dhoni was younger and leading the side. He had aged and is not the same anymore and fortress Chepauk is getting breached for fun, especially this season. Batting has been letting them down. In a flaky batting line-up, why is Dhoni keeping himself so low — No. 8 and sometimes No. 9 — down the order? CSK head coach Stephen Fleming had answered this question only a few days ago. “Yeah, it’s a time thing. MS judges it. His body is, his knees aren’t what they used to be and he’s moving okay but there’s still an attrition aspect to it,” Fleming told reporters.
Today, Dhoni came in at No. 7, with his team reeling at 74/5. The game was slipping away but the fans hardly cared. They raised the Chepauk roof. His dodgy knee makes it difficult for him to bat for more than two-three years — running between the wickets for a longer period being a serious problem. Today, with wickets falling at regular intervals, he was out there in the middle in the 11th over. Asking rate went past 12 and was touching 13. But Dhoni was the last recognised bat, along with Vijay Shankar, and he had to take the game deep. The more time he spends at the crease, the merrier for the ‘Thala Army’.
The equation came down to 75 off 28 balls. The Dhoni of yore would have relished the challenge. The player of the current vintage was playing second fiddle to Vijay. Finally, he got one off the middle of the bat against Mukesh Kumar and the ball soared over the long-on boundary. The game was comfortably sitting in the Capitals dug-out by then. Dhoni remained unbeaten on 30 off 26 balls. Inconsequential.
Why is he still playing? For a moment, put emotions aside and think commerce. According to Brand Finance assessment report, CSK’s brand value stands at $122 million. Dhoni as a player contributes to more than 70 per cent of it. At this franchise, he can play as long as he wants. So, no point talking over his batting approach or batting order. Better to enjoy it while it lasts. At the time of going to press, there was no announcement.
For the record, batting first Capitals scored 183/6, riding on KL Rahul’s 77 off 51 balls. CSK could only manage 158/5 to lose by 25 runs. Three in three for Capitals, while CSK have now lost three of their first four games. They are already on a slippery slope.
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