IPL 2018: ​MS Dhoni gives clear roles to every player - Kris Srikkanth

NEW DELHI: While MS Dhoni’s form with the bat has been the talk of the town, another aspect of his that has garnered equal attention is the way he has captained a returning Chennai Super Kings in IPL 2018. With Dhoni having given up captaincy at the beginning of 2017, and then snubbed as captain of Rising Pune Supergiants, there were doubts over whether Dhoni was capable of rediscovering the instincts that made him India’s greatest captain. But the fact that

CSK

have put up a formidable show this IPL, and are sitting at No. 2 in the Points-Table, indicate that Dhoni has lost a beat.


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Former India opener Kris Srikkanth is extremely impressed with the way Dhoni has led CSK, particularly pointing out his ability to allocate his players certain roles. Writing in his column for Friday’s TOI, Srikkanth lauded the former India captain for the confidence he has shown in certain players.

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“A cursory glance at the points table and no one would know, Chennai Super Kings were not in the scheme of things for two seasons. The former champions have been as consistent as in their previous years, thanks to them finding a settled combination straightaway,” Srikkanth, who played 43 Tests and 146 ODIs for India, wrote.

“MS Dhoni is a past master at finding the perfect combination and more importantly he ensures each player realises his role and settles into it quickly. The confidence he showed in Deepak Chahar and Ambati Rayudu is a vital lesson for other skippers.”

While CSK have been running roughshod over their opponents, they too, like other franchises, were bogged down from injury concerns. Medium-pacer Deepak Chahar, who had been impressive this season claiming six wickets from seven matches, left the field after bowling 2.1 overs against Mumbai Indians due to a hamstring injury and was ruled out indefinitely. However, Chahar’s absence has not hurt CSK, and the credit for that goes to none other than Dhoni.

“Despite losing a few players and some plagued by injuries in between, CSK has been the team to beat. What happens when a captain allocates clear roles is the dependence on individual performance comes down drastically. Dhoni himself has been special with the bat and at the same time every member has been contributing significantly as well,” Srikkanth added.

“Going toward the business end of the tournament, the only change I would like to see in CSK is Rayudu playing the role of a permanent opener. I am not a big believer in constant changing of the batting order. Barring this, CSK are moving as a well-oiled machine and will definitely start as favourites against Rajasthan Royals.”

CSK take on Rajasthan Royals at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Match 43 of the IPL on Friday. With CSK comfortably placed to secure a playoff berth with 14 points from 10 games, they would look at this match against as a golden opportunity to get there. Sunrisers Hyderabad booked their tickets to the Playoff Thursday night with a nine-wicket win over Delhi Daredevils, and a win against Rajasthan will all but guarantee CSK a place in the final four.

For Rajasthan however, things look extremely bleak as even a win against CSK is not enough to guarantee them progression to the next round. They are currently places sixth with 8 points from 10 games and a loss, in all probability, would mark the end of their campaign this season.

“On the other hand, every game is a knock out for Rajasthan. Sometimes this can bring out the best in teams as they have nothing more to lose. Ajinkya Rahane seems to have found his ideal playing XI in the last few games. The former champions can only hope that every aspect of their game plan clicks to put it past a team like CSK,” Srikkanth said.

“At home, Rajasthan have been a very good side and CSK have always struggled in Jaipur. This could be the confidence boost that can drive the hosts forward. A win for them would further tighten the table, but for that to happen Rajasthan have to punch well above their weight.”

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