CSK must tackle its Dhoni problem
Thus far this year, though, CSK have adopted a Dhoni-first, instead of a team-first approach and that is hurting them
Mahendra Singh Dhoni has been around long enough to know when the writing is on the wall. For much of his time with the India national team and the Chennai Super Kings (CSK), his game sense was his greatest strength — he somehow always knew who to back and when, how to time the chase, even when to come up the order. No one else did it like him. And the results showed it.
But the current IPL season is showing us a different picture of the man. He looks like a player who has reached his limit but refuses to acknowledge it. If it was an individual sport, one could not really say much, but in a team sport such as cricket, he seems to be dragging his team down along with him.
Sure, five-time champions CSK have always found ways to defy the odds. They usually follow a different gameplan, back experience over youth and prefer continuity over change. Thus far this year, though, they have adopted a Dhoni-first, instead of a team-first, approach, and that is hurting them. The usually faithful fans are starting to turn on them and even on Dhoni.
For now, Dhoni and the team are taking the silent route but his 26-ball 30 against the Delhi Capitals on Saturday only served to highlight the problem. There are plenty of financial advantages to having Dhoni in the CSK team off-field but on the field, he is now a liability. His knees are shot, he doesn’t play any competitive cricket between two IPLs and one must wonder if a younger player can do a better job for the team.
CSK must take a route different from the one trodden so far to preserve both their own legacy and Dhoni’s.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni has been around long enough to know when the writing is on the wall. For much of his time with the India national team and the Chennai Super Kings (CSK), his game sense was his greatest strength — he somehow always knew who to back and when, how to time the chase, even when to come up the order. No one else did it like him. And the results showed it.
But the current IPL season is showing us a different picture of the man. He looks like a player who has reached his limit but refuses to acknowledge it. If it was an individual sport, one could not really say much, but in a team sport such as cricket, he seems to be dragging his team down along with him.
Sure, five-time champions CSK have always found ways to defy the odds. They usually follow a different gameplan, back experience over youth and prefer continuity over change. Thus far this year, though, they have adopted a Dhoni-first, instead of a team-first, approach, and that is hurting them. The usually faithful fans are starting to turn on them and even on Dhoni.
For now, Dhoni and the team are taking the silent route but his 26-ball 30 against the Delhi Capitals on Saturday only served to highlight the problem. There are plenty of financial advantages to having Dhoni in the CSK team off-field but on the field, he is now a liability. His knees are shot, he doesn’t play any competitive cricket between two IPLs and one must wonder if a younger player can do a better job for the team.
CSK must take a route different from the one trodden so far to preserve both their own legacy and Dhoni’s.
All Access.
One Subscription.
Get 360° coverage—from daily headlines
to 100 year archives.
Archives
HT App & Website
