MS Dhoni is among only four players to have played the Indian Premier League (IPL) since its inception. Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Manish Pandey are three others who are at least five years youngster to him. Ahead of every season, there are plenty of discussions on whether it would be Dhoni’s last in professional cricket, but the keeper-batter defies all the odds and turns up. He isn’t shy of the leadership duties as well, having led Chennai Super Kings just last season, when Ruturaj Gaikwad was ruled out with an injury.
Since finishing 10th last year, Chennai have made multiple changes to their squad. They have put more faith in young cricketers and traded in Sanju Samson from Rajasthan Royals, in exchange for their veteran match-winner Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran. The recent developments suggest that Dhoni might call his time soon. At least, that’s what Aakash Chopra analysed.
The former cricketer also opined that Dhoni’s successors are ready to take over now. He also advised the five-time IPL-winning captain not to play as an Impact Player next season as his tactical strength will help the team massively.
“You don’t run the team from the dugout, it’s not football. In cricket, you need to be on the field, and MS Dhoni’s biggest asset is his ability to read the game better than anybody else. That clarity and conviction are what make him who he is. In any case, I feel this could be his last season. He has the heir apparent now. Sanju Samson will eventually don the gloves; it could even happen at some stage during this season. Again, conditions apply in terms of MS Dhoni’s fitness and his knee. But he cannot be the Impact Player. If he is playing as an Impact Player, I think it’s time for him to hang up his boots,” Chopra said on JioStar’s ‘IPL Today Live’.
Faf du Plessis votes against Dhoni as Impact Player
JioStar expert Faf du Plessis also wants to see Dhoni in the field rather than playing as an Impact Player. He explained Dhoni’s tactical greatness and added that he can deliver more while being on the field than he can with the bat.
“In terms of tactics, MS is one of the most brilliant minds. So, I’ll always have him on the field because you need his cricketing brain. The way he sees and reads the game, and the way you see him manoeuvre fields, that’s his real superpower. Yes, we’ve loved watching him bat. But for me, it’s more about what he brings on the field, and that’s something CSK have to use,” du Plessis said.
