‘Jaldi aa gaye na’: Virender Sehwag jokes about MS Dhoni’s batting position after CSK’s loss to RCB
Chennai Super Kings’ (CSK) 50-run defeat to arch-rivals Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) has sparked a debate over former captain MS Dhoni’s batting position. Dhoni, who usually walks out to bat in the final overs, surprised many by coming in at No. 9. He remained unbeaten with 30 off 16, but his knock had little impact on the outcome as RCB won the match.
While Dhoni has limited his time at the crease in recent seasons, fans and cricket experts were not happy with the 43-year-old batting behind the likes of Ravindra Jadeja, Sam Curran, and Ravichandran Ashwin. Even if Dhoni had come out at No. 8, it would not have altered the match’s result, but the decision still became a talking point.
Former Indian batter Virender Sehwag took a dig at the CSK legend during a discussion on Cricbuzz, joking that Dhoni came out to bat earlier than usual.
“Jaldi aa gaye na (He came out early),” joked Sehwag, triggering laughter among fellow panellists.
Former India batter Manoj Tewary added to the banter, saying, “We were thinking maybe he will walk in at No. 10.”
Sehwag further said, “When he came, 16 overs were bowled. Usually, he arrives in the 19th or 20th over, so either he came early, or his batters lost wickets too quickly.”
Despite the loss, Dhoni provided a moment of joy for his fans, who had been cheering for his arrival at the crease. He struck his signature power-hitting, smashing three boundaries and two massive sixes in the final over off Krunal Pandya.
Amid the debate over his batting order, Dhoni surpassed Suresh Raina to become CSK’s highest run-scorer. Dhoni has a total of 4,699 runs in 204 innings at an average of 40.50 and a strike rate of 139.43.
Previously, Raina had held the record with 4,687 runs in 171 innings before retiring.
Other players on the all-time CSK run-scorers list include Faf du Plesis (2,721 runs in 86 innings), skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad (2,433 runs in 67 innings), and Ravindra Jadeja (1,939 runs in 127 innings). While Gaikwad and Jadeja remain part of CSK, Du Plesis has joined Delhi Capitals as vice-captain for the ongoing season.
