'When you have to make a comeback, you need a strong captain’: Parthiv Patel lauds MS Dhoni for remarkably handling CSK

MS Dhoni’s Chennai Super Kings (CSK), made a strong comeback in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021. Though they began their campaign with a loss against Delhi Capitals, the three-time champions were quick enough to make it to the top half of the IPL 2021 points table and consolidated their position with back-to-back wins.

CSK had one of the most consistent batting line-ups in the tournament. With six of their batsmen scoring half-centuries, they didn’t rely on anyone in particular. Before the tournament was suspended last week, CSK were placed second with 10 pints and a net run rate +1.263 – the highest among all teams.

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Former Indian and CSK player Parthiv Patel credited skipper MS Dhoni for handling the team in a remarkable manner. While speaking to the Star Sports network, the cricketer-turned-commentator said that a ‘strong captain’ is always needed if a team wants to make a ‘comeback’.

“I had no doubts about it. CSK was in my top four even before the tournament started. But I thought the way MS Dhoni handled the team, it was remarkable. When you have to make a comeback, you need a strong captain,” said Patel.

Parthiv further highlighted the way Dhoni decided his batting line-up, by keeping the form of his players in mind.

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“Everyone thought Suresh Raina will bat at No.3 but it was Moeen Ali. He knew what changes he needed to do. Everyone was thinking that MS Dhoni will come and bat at No.4 or No.5. He took a backseat, he knew that there are guys who are batting well and they should get more number of overs,” Parthiv said.

As Raina and Rayudu hadn’t played any competitive cricket before the IPL 2021, Dhoni went with Moeen Ali at No.3. The move paid off well as the English all-rounder amassed 206 runs at an average of 34.33 and a strike rate of 157.25.