CSK vs KKR, IPL 2025: MS Dhoni walks in at No.9, gets out for 1 as Chennai get batting order all wrong

IPL 2025: MS Dhoni's batting, coupled with some questionable decisions in his season's captaincy debut, have raised a lot of questions.

MS Dhoni obviously does not trust his own batting abilities anymore but what unfolded at the Chepauk was bizarre. Leading CSK for the first time in two years after Ruturaj Gaikwad was ruled out of IPL 2025 with an injury, came in to bat at No.9 and got out for 1.

MS Dhoni Disappoints with Batting Order Again

CSK have won the IPL 5 times and they have also endured poor seasons before. But this summer, they have been poor and shown lack of clarity. Their all New Zealand opening combination failed against Kolkata Knight Riders on Friday. Rahul Tripathi, Gaikwad’s replacement, could do nothing of substance.

At least, Vijay Shankar tried but his 29 off 21 wasn’t enough to stop that batting collapse. It was poor batting and some great bowling – cricket as it is. What followed, however, was disheartening. Again, R Ashwin came in to bat ahead of Ravindra Jadeja and MS Dhoni. Ashwin has played some stellar knocks in Test cricket but his T20 batting credentials don’t rank highly. Sure enough, he was sent back for 1 by Harshit Rana. Jadeja was out for a duck and Dhoni was trapped LBW by Sunil Narine.

CSK Batting Flops Again, Totally Senseless..

Dhoni reviewed the decision but it was an exercise in futility. At 8 for 75 in the 16th over, this wasn’t the kind of comeback to captaincy Dhoni wanted. It was an even trickier situation for CKS because they brought in Deepak Hooda as their Impact Player after another batting implosion. And what did he do? A duck.

CSK’s tactics have been hard to fathom so far this season. But their approach on Friday defied logic even to the most casual watchers of the game.