Chennai Super Kings

Truth Behind MS Dhoni’s No. 9 Decision Out, Harbhajan Singh, Irfan Pathan Made To Eat Words

Danijones11 months ago04 mins

MS Dhoni batted at No. 9 spot against PBKS© BCCI/Sportzpics Chennai Super Kings (CSK) legend MS Dhoni surprised everyone as he came out to bat at the No. 9 spot in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 match against Punjab Kings Seeing Shardul Thakur walk out to bat ahead of Dhoni in the match, many fans and experts were left baffled. Former India cricketers like Irfan Pathan and Harbhajan Singh also launched a stern attack at the wicket-keeper batter over the decision, suggesting he shouldn’t even be a part of the team if he wants to bat so low in the order. But, it has now been reported that the reason behind Dhoni’s delayed arrival is down to an injury. In a report by the Times of India, Dhoni is carrying a muscle tear in his leg which prevents him from running too long on the field. Hence, the veteran cricketer isn’t keen in coming out to bat too early for CSK, as running between the wickets is an issue for him. A couple of games ago, Dhoni was slammed for sending back non-striker Daryl Mitchell despite there being the possibility of a clear double. In the same game, Dhoni was later run-out, a form of dismissal that isn’t too synonymous with the legendary cricketer. “We are virtually playing with our ‘B’ team. Those who are criticizing Dhoni don’t know the sacrifice that he is doing for this team,” the report quoted a source as saying. The report further said that had Devon Conway, team’s second wicket-keeper batter, been available, Dhoni would’ve given him a rest from a few matches at the least. Dhoni is reportedly taking medicines before coming out on the pitch and trying to minise his running in order to not aggravate the injury. Though the doctors have suggested him rest, Dhoni doesn’t have any option but to play. Even last year, Dhoni had suffered plenty of injury troubles. He had to play many matches for CSK in IPL 2023 while carrying a knee injury. After the end of the season, Dhoni even went under the knife for the same trouble. CSK have been dealing with many injury problems this season. Devon Conway has already been ruled out while Matheesha Pathirana has also returned him because of an injury. Even marquee Indian pacer Deepak Chahar is unlikely to make a comeback in this campaign because of a leg injury. Topics mentioned in this article

‘A hard goodbye with my only wish…’: Matheesha Pathirana’s emotional post for CSK and MS Dhoni | Cricket News

Danijones11 months ago03 mins

NEW DELHI: Chennai Super Kings’ pacer Matheesha Pathirana‘s involvement in the current IPL season has abruptly ended as he heads back to Sri Lanka to recover from a hamstring injury.The right-arm fast bowler played in six matches this IPL season, taking 13 wickets with an economy rate of 7.68.Pathirana’s last game for CSK was during their 78-run victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad, where he bowled two overs and dismissed Aiden Markram and Heinrich Klaasen.He missed the match against Punjab Kings in Chennai on May 1, with England pacer Richard Gleeson stepping in as his replacement.Pathirana’s absence is a significant blow to CSK, as their bowling options have sharply decreased in recent days. On Monday, the Sri Lankan speedster shared a series of photos with MS Dhoni and other CSK teammates, accompanied by an emotional caption.“A hard goodbye with my only wish to see the 2024 IPL champion trophy in CSK’s room soon! Grateful to the CSK team for all the blessings and love from Chennai. – #matheeshapathirana,” Pathirana wrote. Pace-bowling all-rounder Deepak Chahar is also expected to miss the remainder of the IPL after sustaining a niggle during the match against Punjab at Chepauk.Chahar left the field after bowling just two deliveries, and Shardul Thakur completed the over in his place.CSK will also be without Sri Lankan spinner Maheesh Theekshana for at least a few more matches, as he is set to return to Sri Lanka to complete his USA visa process ahead of next month’s T20 World Cup in the Americas.Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman’s IPL tenure also concluded after the last match against PBKS, as he has joined the national team for the home T20I series against Zimbabwe.

MS Dhoni’s Own Medicine Used “To Fool” Him: On CSK Great’s Struggles, Ex-India Star’s Blunt Take

Danijones11 months ago11 months ago04 mins

IPL 2024: MS Dhoni gets dismissed vs Punjab Kings on Sunday© AFP The IPL on Sunday witnessed a rare scene. MS Dhoni, a genius in the death overs, fell for golden duck in a match against Punjab Kings in Dharamshala. Harshal Patel took the wicket as the fans present were shell-shocked. It was for the second time in two matches, that Dhoni got dismissed in the IPL 2024. Before that he stayed unbeaten for seventh straight matches. Coincidentally, both his dismissals came against Punjab Kings. On Sunday, he was bowled by Harshal Patel, he got run out by in the last over. Former Indian cricket team opener Navjot Singh Sidhu had an interesting observation regarding Dhoni’s struggles against spin in the previous match. In that match against PBKS, Dhoni came to bat in the 18th over. In the 19th over, with Dhoni on Strike, Rahul Chahar was introduced. Dhoni could take only two runs in the over. “They got done in by something unexpected. They used Dhoni’s own medicine against him to fool him. Look at Dhoni’s practice. He always smashes those long hits in the nets against fast bowlers. He hasn’t practiced spin. In the entire tournament, if Dhoni has played 6 overs, they’ve all been against pace. But Punjab’s captain [Sam Curran] played a master stroke. He employed a spinner,” Sidhu said on Star Sports. “Dhoni wasn’t prepared. For 7-8 months, he hasn’t faced spin. It was almost as if he was startled. Tactic is like how you take the stinger out of the bee without getting stung. And that is where the game turned. And on top of it, Harpreet Brar bowled a faster one to Shivam Dube. Cannoned onto the stumps.” Regarding dismissing Dhoni on Sunday, Harshal said: “Wicket was on drier side. I have too much respect for him to celebrate when I get him out (on Dhoni). One of the advantages of playing a day game is that the square is quite rough. So the ball starts reversing. In my first over it was reversing. It’s all about the feel of that delivery (slower one). More you bowl the better you get. Most batters don’t pick it. Have been practicing in the nets, and when it comes out it gives you great results,” Harshal said.

‘100-200 zyada lelo par next IPL…’: Fan’s special request for CSK legend MS Dhoni | Cricket News

Danijones11 months ago02 mins

NEW DELHI: In what is rumoured to be his last Indian Premier League season, the MS Dhoni mania continues to grow along the length and breadth of the country.Whereever Dhoni has gone to play for Chennai Super Kings this season, his fans and supporters have gathered in huge numbers across stadiums to catch a glimpse of their cricketing idol. And to go with that, there have also been requests from fans, asking the 42-year-old to continue playing for another season.The requests have even spread to non-CSK matches, where Dhoni fans have showered love for him in different ways, using placards and slogans. One such unique request came from a fan during the Lucknow Super Giants vs Kolkata Knight Riders game. Playing their last game of the season, a LSG fan requested skipper KL Rahul to ask Dhoni to play another season. “Rahul bhai, Dhoni sir se kahdo, 100-200 zyada lelo par next IPL season khel lo,” the fan’s placard read. In the 11 matches played in the season thus far, Dhoni has delighted fans with quite a few incredible cameos at the death having hit the ball at a strike rate of over 224. Dhoni has only been dismissed a couple of times this IPL season. With 6 wins and 5 losses in 11 matches, the defending champions currently sit at the 3rd spot on the points table.

Day After Virat Rant On Kohli’s Comments, Sunil Gavaskar’s Statement On MS Dhoni Resurfaces

Danijones11 months ago03 mins

File photo of Sunil Gavaskar.© X (Twitter) Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar didn’t mince his words while reacting to Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) icon Virat Kohli’s rant at ‘pundits’ over criticsim of his strike-rate and struggles against spin. Kohli didn’t hold his emotions back as he took a swipe at critics after the match against Gujarat Titans (GT) last weekend. Reacting to Kohli’s rant, Gavaskar launched a scathing attack on the RCB icon, asking why those who continue to stay away from what’s said and written on social media are reacting to ‘outside noise’. However, Gavaskar didn’t stop there as he also slammed the broadcasters for showing that rant from Kohli ‘a dozen times’ on television. “That particular post-game interview has been shown on this channel earlier as well, right now, on this particular program it has probably been shown half a dozen times. I hope that Star Sports recognises that when that is being shown, asking where are the critics, the critics are the commentators. Your Star Sports commentators are the ones from whom the questions are being asked,” Gavaskar said on Star Sports. Amid his meltdown over Kohli’s rant, an old video of Gavaskar praising two-time World Cup winning captain MS Dhoni has resurfaced on social media. In the video, an emotional Gavaskar recalled the moment when he got his shirt signed by Dhoni during IPL 2023. Respect is earned, not given. Meanwhile Gavaskar with MS Dhonipic.twitter.com/dFHUE4HAeZ — (@rahulmsd_91) May 5, 2024 Gavaskar had said: “It was a very emotional moment for me (getting the shirt signed by MS Dhoni). MS Dhoni has done a lot for Indian cricket. If I have 2 minutes to live, I would like to witness Kapil Dev lift the 1983 World Cup trophy and MS Dhoni hit the World Cup winning six and the way he rolled over his bat after hitting the six.” For the unversed, Gavaskar got his shirt signed from Dhoni after CSK’s last home game of the season last year, assuming that the veteran might retire from the IPL after the tournament. Topics mentioned in this article

MS Dhoni and Jitesh Sharma repeat 12-year-old unwanted feat in PBKS vs CSK clash – India TV

Danijones11 months ago03 mins

Image Source : BCCI/IPL MS Dhoni and Jitesh Sharma Chennai Super Kings (CSK) might have won the match against Punjab Kings (PBKS) by 28 runs but the fans were disappointed to see their talisman MS Dhoni bag a golden duck. As expected, there was a huge roar when the former CSK skipper came out to bat at number nine in the 19th over but the joy was short-lived for the fans with Harshal Patel becoming the first bowler to dismiss Dhoni in IPL 2024. This was also only the fourth golden duck for Dhoni in his much-celebrated IPL career. It was a brilliant delivery from Harshal that uprooted the batter’s stumps with even the 42-year-old appreciating the delivery while walking back to the dugout. Interestingly enough, Punjab Kings wicket-keeper Jitesh Sharma also bagged a golden duck with pacer Simarjeet Singh getting rid of him in the 10th over of the innings. Overall, this was only the second time that both wicketkeeper-batters bagged a golden duck in the an IPL match. Dhoni and Jitesh registered this unwanted record after 12 years with the first such instance happening way back in IPL 2012. Dinesh Karthik and Sreevats Goswami were the ones to do it for the first time in the MI vs RR clash 12 years ago. Instances when both wicketkeeper-batters bagged a golden duck in IPL Players Match IPL Season MS Dhoni, Jitesh Sharma PBKS vs CSK IPL 2024 Dinesh Karthik, Sreevats Goswami MI vs RR IPL 2012 As far as the overall record is concerned, this is only the fifth time that wicketkeepers of both teams bagged a duck with the bat in an IPL match. It last happened in the clash between Gujarat Titans and Delhi Capitals at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad last year. Both wicketkeepers dismissed for a duck in an IPL game RR vs MI, Jaipur, 2010 MI vs RR, Mumbai WS, 2012 MI vs SRH, Mumbai WS, 2018 GT vs DC, Ahmedabad, 2023 PBKS vs CSK, Dharamsala, 2024

IPL-17 | Ravindra Jadeja’s versatility makes him class act, says Aaron Finch

Danijones11 months ago03 mins

Chennai Super Kings all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja celebrates a wicket during the Indian Premier League 2024 match against Punjab Kings in Dharamsala on May 5, 2024. | Photo Credit: R.V. Moorthy Former Australia skipper Aaron Finch has termed India all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja a “class player” because of his versatility which brings in a lot of balance in all the teams that he represents. Jadeja scored 40-odd runs and took three wickets in Chennai Super Kings’ victory over Punjab Kings on May 5. “Ravindra Jadeja is such a versatile player, which makes him so effective. With the ball, he would have loved more wickets,” Finch told Star Sports. “He’s been economical, going at under eight per over throughout the tournament. Leading with three wickets today (Sunday), he showed he is an absolute class player.” Finch was impressed that Jadeja returned with fine figures of 3/20 in his full quota of four overs while defending a not-so-big total of 169. “Three wickets for just 20 runs when the Punjab Kings were chasing a total of 170 odd runs is just superb. It just shows why he’s one of the best players in the world,” the Australian said. Finch also spoke highly about Kolkata Knight Riders’ Sunil Narine. The 2021 World T20-winning Australian skipper feels that it is extremely difficult to contain Narine for a long period of time. “It’s truly remarkable, isn’t it? I mean, seeing Sunil Narine stride out to open the batting. “Before this season, you’re thinking, if we can just keep him quiet for a couple of balls, he’ll try and do something and play a big shot. But this season, he’s not only getting off to explosive starts but also batting smartly and seizing control of the innings,” Finch said. The 35-year-old Narine smashed 81 off just 39 balls to power KKR to a comfortable 98-run win over Lucknow Super Giants on Sunday night. In the process, Narine also became the fourth player to score more than 450 runs and take 10 plus wickets in a single IPL edition.

MS Dhoni: ‘Come on mate, bat for four overs’: Irfan Pathan questions MS Dhoni’s batting position in IPL 2024 | Cricket News

Danijones11 months ago03 mins

NEW DELHI: Former Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan expressed bewilderment at Chennai Super Kings’ decision to persistently utilize veteran batter MS Dhoni in a lower batting order position, despite his solid form and the team’s fluctuating match situations.During CSK’s encounter against Punjab Kings in Dharamsala, Pathan observed Dhoni entering the fray as low as No. 9, with just eight balls remaining in their innings, a move that left him perplexed.“I know that he is 42, but he is in solid form. He should be taking the responsibility of batting up the order. He should bat for at least four to five overs,” Pathan remarked on Star Sports.Pathan emphasized the need for Dhoni to assume a more prominent batting role, particularly earlier in the innings, rather than being confined to a brief cameo in the final overs. “He is batting for the last over or last 2 overs and that doesn’t serve the purpose for CSK for a long term,” Pathan added.Dhoni’s dismissal for a golden duck further underscored the questionable decision-making regarding his batting position. Pathan highlighted the significance of Dhoni’s contributions, especially in critical match scenarios, urging CSK to reassess their strategy and optimize Dhoni’s batting potential.Acknowledging Dhoni’s impact in previous matches, Pathan stressed the necessity for a proactive approach in utilizing his expertise, especially considering CSK’s playoff aspirations. “When the team needed him, you can’t send Shardul Thakur ahead of yourself. They need to work out something; someone has to tell Dhoni, ‘Come on mate, bat for four overs’,” Pathan added.

“Better To Include A Fast Bowler Than Playing MS Dhoni”: Harbhajan Singh

Danijones11 months ago04 mins

Harbhajan Singh slammed MS Dhoni’s decision to bat at No. 9 spot© BCCI/Sportzpics MS Dhoni batted at No. 9 for the first time in his T20 career but his decision ultimately backfired as he was dismissed for a golden duck during the IPL 2024 match against Punjab Kings on Sunday. Dhoni has assumed the role as a finisher for CSK this season and he mostly comes to bat with 1-2 overs to go in the matches. Against PBKS, he allowed both Mitchell Santner and Shardul Thakur to bat ahead of him before coming out in the 19th over. Former India spinner Harbhajan Singh was not impressed by the decision and he said that if Dhoni is going to bat at No. 9, CSK should add another pacer in their ranks instead. “MS Dhoni shouldn’t play if he wants to bat at the number 9 slot. It is better to include a fast bowler than him in the playing XI. He is the decision-maker and has let down his team by not coming out to bat.” “Shardul Thakur came ahead of him. Thakur can never hit shots like Dhoni and I don’t understand why Dhoni made this mistake. Nothing happens without his permission and I am not ready to accept that this decision to demote him was taken by someone else.” “CSK were in a need of quick runs and Dhoni has done that in the previous games. It was shocking that he stayed back in the important contest against Punjab Kings. Even if CSK win today, I will still call out Dhoni. Let people say anything. I will say what is right,” Harbhajan Singh said on Star Sports. Coming to the match, Chennai Super Kings rode an all-round show from Ravindra Jadeja to register a crucial victory over Punjab Kings. They are third in the IPL 2024 points table thanks to this win. “Everyone believed the wicket was slow. Even low bounce. Just that the start we got, we were thinking of pushing till 180-200. After losing wickets, thought 160-170 was a good score. Don’t know what he’s doing, but even in preseason he was clicking 150kph (on Simarjeet). He didn’t get too much chances, but it’s never too late. Were thinking of going with impact batter, but then we thought the batter will give 10-15 runs, but he could give 2-3 wickets. Some of the guys were struggling with flu. Weren’t even sure till the morning who’s playing or not. To get the win, really happy with that,” Ruturaj said after the match. Topics mentioned in this article

Jadeja says after win over PBKS – India TV

Danijones11 months ago03 mins

Image Source : BCCI/IPL Ravindra Jadeja after the PBKS vs CSK clash. Chennai Super Kings registered an emphatic win over Punjab Kings in their 11th match of the Indian Premier League. After scoring 167/9 in their 20 overs at the slow surface of the HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala, they restricted PBKS to 139/9 to register a crucial win. After the match, CSK all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, who produced a match-winning performance with both bat and the ball, said that the team fell short by 15-20 runs but the team bowled well. “We thought we were 15-20 runs short but we did not bowl loose balls in the power play and in the middle overs,” Jadeja said at the post-match presentation. “The fast bowlers bowled well in the power play. Tushar got two important wickets and then Mitch and me did the job in the middle overs,” he said. Jadeja added that the surface was tricky to bat on in the middle overs. “It was a day game, so the wicket was slow. As usual, it was expected because it was so hot. It (the pitch) always seems flat in the power play. But when the ball gets old, it does not always come on. When playing at a new venue, you don’t know how much it will turn or stop,” Jadeja added. The CSK all-rounder also said that his role was to build partnerships and then go big. “My role as a batter is to build partnerships and then play the big shots towards the end. Sometimes, when we lose wickets in the power play, we do not get momentum. In the matches we win, we play all phases well,” said Jadeja. Meanwhile, Gaikwad also believed that the wicket was slow. “Everyone believed that the wicket was slow and the ball was coming off slow. There was low bounce too. With the start we got, we could have pushed to 180-200. We lost wickets in consecutive balls and then felt 160-170 was probably ten odd runs short,” said Gaikwad.