The Chennai Tremendous Kings’ season retains heading downhill, and their fourth straight loss in IPL 2025 got here with extra heartbreak, as a wide ranging late assault from MS Dhoni couldn’t save the five-time champions from an 18-run defeat towards Punjab Kings on Tuesday, April 8.
With simply 25 balls left and 69 runs wanted, MS Dhoni got here to bat at No. 5 and immediately made an affect with the bat as they have been chasing 220 runs to win the sport towards Punjab Kings.
MS Dhoni lit up the night with a blistering knock of 27 runs off 12 balls, hitting three towering sixes and one boundary towards the Punjab Kings in Chandigarh.
MS Dhoni’s blazing knock goes in useless as CSK crash to fourth straight defeat within the IPL 2025
However the activity was monumental, and MS Dhoni’s fireworks couldn’t save the Chennai Tremendous Kings from one other disappointing end. After the match, Simon Doull, the previous New Zealand pacer turned commentator, slammed the CSK group administration for not using Dhoni totally.
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Doull questioned why MS Dhoni wasn’t despatched in earlier, particularly given the explosive affect he made in so few balls.
Doull highlighted that Dhoni alone hit three sixes, whereas the remainder of the batting lineup may solely handle 5, lamenting that CSK has been lacking the chance to make use of his firepower. He feels Dhoni ought to bat at No. 4 and make extra distinction.
It isn’t his fault: Simon Doull defends MS Dhoni
Simon Doull was quoted as saying by Cricbuzz, “Dhoni had three sixes in 12 balls. The remainder of the group had 5 in complete. In order that tells you he is nonetheless bought the power and energy to hit these sixes. That is why we have now been speaking about getting him up within the order. As a result of 27 off 12 balls, when they’re 2 down, truly could make a distinction. It isn’t his fault.”
He additionally pointed to Devon Conway’s sluggish knock of 69 runs off 49 balls as a key consider CSK’s downfall towards the PBKS. CSK opener’s innings lacked urgency, and he did not shift the gears when it mattered, leaving the center order with a mountain to climb.
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Not simply that, Conway was retired out with a little bit over two overs to go, however by then, the harm was already accomplished, and Doull felt his choice to retire out got here too late and didn’t enable Ravindra Jadeja the time he wanted to settle and end the sport for CSK towards PBKS.
Simon Doull blames Devon Conway for CSK’s crushing loss to PBKS
The commentator signed off by saying, “Retiring Conway was an attention-grabbing choice. He had the tempo of the pitch, however his strike charge was too low. In a recreation the place you’ve got bought a strike charge of 190 to win, he was scoring at 140. However he was retired out too late, too late for Jadeja to evaluate.”
The New Zealander feels that if CSK had despatched Dhoni up earlier, the end result may have regarded very completely different. Chennai is now in deep trouble within the ongoing IPL 2024, and until they make daring selections and switch issues round shortly, their playoff hopes could end with one other defeat.
Doull signed off by saying, “However Dhoni was 27 off 12 balls… if it occurs at no. 3 or 4, that makes a distinction to the sport. By the point he got here out to bat, the run charge was 14. It was too late.”
