Why MS Dhoni should bat at no. 3 for CSK

MS Dhoni might have hit 3 consecutive sixes in the last over of the game against Rajasthan Royals, but his fans were still left gutted as he let the required run rate go out of hand before launching the onslaught.

The fans just couldn’t understand why Dhoni left it too late before he started going for the big shots. But, the fact of the matter is that Dhoni didn’t leave it too late, he was trying to line up the bowlers before the last over as well, but he just wasn’t getting into the right positions.

The wicket at Sharjah was not the easiest to start on. You could have gone bonkers after getting set because the boundaries were really short, but starting was a tough job and if Dhoni knew it, shouldn’t he have opted to bat higher up the order?

MS Dhoni has not played competitive cricket in last 15 months

Dhoni has not played any bit of competitive cricket in the last 15 months anyway and for someone who has been out of the game for so long, he needs a bit of game-time under his belt. And the CSK line-up currently has a vacancy in top 3 in Suresh Raina’s absence.

Yes, Faf du Plessis is batting there currently and is doing well, but he might have to open the innings going ahead as Murali Vijay is struggling at the top of the order. In case that happens, Dhoni should promote himself to no. 3 rather than sending someone else up the order.

There is still no doubt over Dhoni’s power and his ability to hit sixes. The only question is if he can do it straightaway. The answer to that at the moment is probably no. He needs a bit of time before he can get into the top gear.

So, what’s the ideal spot for him to give himself that extra time before he could go on a rampage? It’s the no. 3. It will be interesting to see if Dhoni indeed takes up that spot in the coming games, but from the fans’ point of view, they would be delighted to watch Dhoni bat at no. 3 if he does.