Chennai Super Kings (CSK) captain Ruturaj Gaikwad on Sunday (April 5) admitted that MS Dhoni’s ‘slow’ return to the team’s playing 11 is taking time, adding that the team would play the legend as soon as he’s ready. Dhoni is recovering from a calf injury he picked up before the season began.
The match against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at the Chinnaswamy Stadium would be the third that Dhoni would miss in the season. CSK lost the first two, against Rajasthan Royals and Punjab Kings.
“MS is getting back on track slowly, slowly. You know, sometimes it takes time. We all hope he comes back really soon. He’s eager to play. It’ll be soon,” Gaikwad said at the toss.
Dhoni is CSK’s highest run-scorer against RCB, but the effects of his absence
on the franchise go beyond the numbers. Dhoni adds experience to the team, and without him, CSK have felt lagging tactically.
CSK’s playing 11 without MS Dhoni
CSK’s playing 11 vs RCB: Sanju Samson (wk), Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), Ayush Mhatre, Sarfaraz Khan, Shivam Dube, Prashant Veer, Jamie Overton, Noor Ahmad, Anshul Kamboj, Matt Henry and Khaleel Ahmed
In Dhoni’s absence, CSK have trusted two youngsters, Prashant Veer and Kartik Sharma, to shoulder the weight of the lower-order finishing. The move has yet to pay dividends.
Moreover, Sanju Samson, who was traded in from Rajasthan Royals and touted as the heir apparent for Dhoni, hasn’t impressed either, scoring in single digits in his first two matches. The franchise’s idea to drop Ayush Mhatre to number three and ask Samson and Gaikwad to open has been a poor one, too.
On paper, RCB are a much more balanced side than the five-time champions. CSK cannot afford to start the season with three consecutive losses and if this is the start of the post-Dhoni era, the players need to show something to encourage confidence among the fans.
