‘Don’t expect MS Dhoni making such mistakes’ – Former India batter slams MS Dhoni over poor captaincy against Gujarat in season opener of ITL 2023

In their first game of the 16th season of the Indian T20 League, MS Dhoni-led Chennai faced defending champions Gujarat at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Hardik Pandya’s Gujarat continued their dominance over four-time champions as they beat them by five wickets to start well in the tournament. Gujarat chased 179 runs in 19.2 overs as opener Shubman Gill and Rashid Khan shined with both bat and bowl respectively.

Some strategic mistakes cost Chennai as they continued their horrific run in the tournament. Meanwhile, former India batter Virender Sehwag slammed Chennai skipper MS Dhoni for making bad decisions in the first game. He questioned the decision of giving a new ball to substitute Tushar Deshpande.

Speaking with Cricbuzz, Sehwag said,

“I was surprised when they gave the impact substitute Tushar Deshpande the new ball. In domestic cricket, he often bowls in the latter phases of the game. I thought maybe they could have given Rajvardhan Hangargekar the new ball. Had Dhoni used an over from Moeen Ali somewhere in the middle, he may not have needed to go to Tushar Deshpande, who was highly expensive.”

Questioning Dhoni’s decisions, he further stated,

“You don’t expect MS Dhoni to make such mistakes often, but that’s where you could use the risk-and-reward approach of using an off-spinner when right-handers are batting.” Notably, Tushar Deshpande was the most expensive bowler for Chennai as he was hammered for 52 runs in just 3.2 overs, although he dismissed Shubman Gill.

Is MS Dhoni injured?

Ahead of their second game against Lucknow on March 3, fans are concerned about Chennai skipper MS Dhoni’s fitness. The wicketkeeper-batter was seen in pain after landing on his injured knee. However, he completed the game but concerns mount over his participation in the league. Meanwhile, Chennai coach Stephen Fleming gave a major update on Dhoni’s fitness and injury.

While talking with the media, Fleming said,

“He was always playing. Not sure where that story came from. He was nursing a sore knee throughout the month of pre-season, but today it was just cramped, it wasn’t the knee. He’s not going to be as quick and nimble as he was 15 years ago, but he is still a great leader of the side, and, even with the bat, he is still going to play a part. He knows his limitations and he is a valuable player to have on the field. He is a legend.”