Harbhajan Singh strongly criticised MS Dhoni’s dismal performance against the Punjab Kings and suggested him not to play at No. 9 again.
MS Dhoni has been in scintillating form this IPL season and has garnered a lot of praise for his last-over heroics as a finisher. However, in CSK’s recent match against PBKS, Dhoni came in to bat at No. 9 for the first time in his entire T20 career, and it did not go well with him as he was dismissed with a golden duck by Harshal Patel. Ex-Indian cricketer Harbhajan Singh strongly commended Dhoni’s decision and expressed that it would be better if CSK had a pacer instead of Dhoni batting at number nine.
“MS Dhoni shouldn’t play if he wants to bat at the number 9 slot. It is better to include a faster 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,” Harbhajan said on StarSports, as quoted by NDTV.
Harbhajan remarked that CSK needed quick runs, something Dhoni had delivered in previous matches. He expressed surprise that Dhoni held back at the crucial stage of the game. Singh added that even if CSK won, he would still criticise Dhoni’s decision, regardless of what others might say.
However, the Chennai Super Kings won a key match against the Punjab Kings thanks to a strong all-around performance from Ravindra Jadeja. This victory lifts CSK to third place in the IPL 2024 standings.
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CSK captain Ruturaj Gaikwad reflected on the match. He admitted the team initially aimed for a score between 180 and 200, but after losing wickets, they adjusted their target to 160 and 170. He also praised the surprise performance of bowler Simarjeet Singh, who impressed in pre-season but had not received any prior chances.
Ruturaj explained the team’s decision to go with Simarjeet, highlighting the potential for wickets over additional runs. He also shared his joy of winning the game with a good bowling performance. “We weren’t even sure till the morning who’s playing or not. To get the win, I’m really happy with that,” concluded the CSK skipper.
Last Updated on May 6, 2024
