NEW DELHI: Calls for Mahendra Singh Dhoni to bat higher up the order have intensified following his dynamic performance against the Delhi Capitals. Despite Dhoni's unbeaten 37 off 16 balls at number eight, the Chennai Super Kings fell short by 20 runs against Rishabh Pant's squad.
Dhoni's brief yet impactful innings against the Delhi Capitals featured a resounding six over extra-cover, followed by a one-handed maximum over mid-wicket in the 20th over.
Although the 42-year-old, who last represented India in 2019, underwent knee surgery last year, his batting prowess remains undiminished.
1/10:IPL 2024: Delhi Capitals down Chennai Super Kings
PTI
2/10:Rishabh Pant
<p>Rishabh Pant led Delhi Capitals with his first IPL fifty since his comeback from a car crash, guiding them to a 20-run victory over Chennai Super Kings.<br /></p>PTI
3/10:Prithvi Shaw and David Warner
<p>Warner and Prithvi Shaw's opening partnership of 93 set the stage for Delhi before Chennai's bowlers fought back, including Matheesha Pathirana's two strikes in an over.<br /></p>PTI
4/10:David Warner
<p>David Warner's 52 coupled with Captain Pant's 51 off 32 balls, propelled Delhi to 191-5 in Visakhapatnam, their adopted homeground due to the upcoming general elections.<br /></p>PTI
5/10:Matheesha Pathirana
<p>Pathirana, nicknamed "Baby Malinga" for his slinging action and trademark yorkers reminiscent of the former Sri Lankan pace ace Lasith Malinga, finished with figures of 3-31.<br /></p>ANI
6/10:Khaleel Ahmed
<p>Khaleel Ahmed claimed the wickets of CSK openers and returned with bowling figures of 2-21 and was named the Man of the Match.</p>PTI
7/10:Ajinkya Rahane and Daryl Mitchell
<p>Ajinkya Rahane (45) and Daryl Mitchell (34) stitched together a 68-run partnership in their bid to revive the chase. However, after their dismissals, wickets tumbled in quick succession.<br /></p>PTI
8/10:MS Dhoni
<p>In Visakhapatnam, the crowd largely supported CSK, chanting "Dhoni, Dhoni". The former skipper responded with an unbeaten 37 off 16 balls, featuring four fours and three sixes.<br /></p>PTI
9/10:Mukesh Kumar
<p>In his spell of 3 overs, Mukesh Kumar claimed 3 wickets while conceding 21 runs.<br /></p>PTI
10/10:Rishabh Pant
<p>Pant received a standing ovation as he walked off the field, marking his first IPL fifty since 2021 and his return from a car crash involving his Mercedes north of New Delhi in December 2022.<br /></p>ANIFans were thrilled to witness their beloved cricketer showcasing his trademark style.
However, former New Zealand cricketer Simon Doull criticised Dhoni's approach, noting that the seasoned campaigner faced numerous dot balls before launching an assault on the Delhi Capitals bowlers.
"I know there was a lot of hoopla about Dhoni's innings but he blocked a lot of balls. He faced a lot of dots and then when he started to not take runs, I could not believe what I was watching. I know he is the great MS Dhoni but it was a poor call. It was a really poor call not to take those runs," Doull told Cricbuzz.
"You are still trying to win the game and I know it is his first bat in a long time, first bat of the season and he is probably thinking at some stage of maybe getting to find some form but I didn't agree with it. I didn't agree with what happened in that situation. To me, it was a really poor look. I was watching it and thinking you know, it didn't look good for me. That just didn't look quite right to me when he wasn't taking runs," he said.
Dhoni also became the first Indian glovesman to score 7,000 runs in T20 cricket.
Under Dhoni's captaincy, CSK won five IPL titles - 2010, 2011, 2018, 2021 and 2023.
