The title maybe a bit harsh but that is an apt summation of the happenings in CSK in the ongoing IPL. Shameless Dhoni is a correct assessment of where CSK finds themselves in. They have clearly shot on their foot. From someone, the only Indian captain to have won three ICC titles so far, this is indeed a great and steep fall. Dhoni himself must be ashamed. Years down the line, when he looks back at what he did or didn’t do, he will probably feel a great sense of betrayal, of himself and the CSK. Ofcourse, CSK supporters cannot complain because they wanted this to happen.
It is clear for anyone who has seen CSK’s game recently that Dhoni has become a joke. Against RCB, CSK was in a great bother having lost 6 wickets for just about 80. One would have expected Dhoni to walk-in in that situation because of the experience. It wasn’t to be. Ashwin went in ahead of Dhoni. Ashwin who is not known for power-htting went ahead of Dhoni. What was Dhoni or the management thinking?
“Yeah, it’s a time thing,” Fleming said. “MS judges it. His body is… his knees aren’t what they used to be. And he’s moving okay, but there’s still an attrition aspect to it. He can’t bat ten overs running full stick. So he will gauge on the day what he can give us. If the game’s in the balance like today, he will go a little bit earlier, and he backs other players when other opportunities are up. So he’s balancing that.”
28-year old Dhoni
From the statement of Fleming, it is clear that the captain or the coach or the team management or even the franchise does not have any say in what Dhoni does. He is just another player and an uncapped one at that, yet, he is allowed to choose his batting position. It is height of ridiculousness. Fleming admits that Dhoni cannot bat for 10 overs. 10 overs. It is the least a batsman is expected to do. Even tailenders nowadays are batting for that many number of overs. Fleming has indirectly admitted that Dhoni is a complete waste of space. Yet, for reasons known to everyone, he is still among the first name of the teamsheet.
Some years ago, a 28 year-old Dhoni, rotated Tendulkar, Sehwag and Gambhir because he could accommodate only two poor fielders on the bigger Australian grounds, still wants to play for CSK despite not contributing substantially. I supported Dhoni at that stage because not only have those three cricketers were slow around the field, their batting too nosedived to a point they could no longer score substantial runs..
42-year old Dhoni
Dhoni is 43-years old. It is an age every sportsmen would have stopped playing. We all know why Dhoni still playing. He himself is a brand. It is his brand value and the CSK franchise wants to capitalise on but to the extent they have gone is mindboggling. Ofcourse Dhoni himself is a beneficiary too. However, this circus must stop. Dhoni has become a tamed elephant that is being paraded around the ground for the pleasure of the viewing public. Does he even realise that he has become a laughing stock? I doubt that. If he had, he himself would have bid adieu. Ofcourse, he could have still contributed to CSK by becoming the coach or in some other capacity but as a player, he cannot contribute any longer.
The Krunal Pandya over
Against RCB, what happened in the last over was so shocking. The match was already completed. RCB won convincingly with just the last over left but more than 80 to get for CSK. Inorder to please Dhoni himself and inorder to please the stupid CSK fans, RCB gave the last over to Krunal Pandya. The sole aim of that move was to allow Dhoni to bat freely and score runs thereby allow the CSK fans to sleep peacefully that night. Never mind that their team lost miserably and that their hero was a buffoon.
If I was in Pandya’s shoes, I would have refused to bowl that over. Not because I was afraid of being hit but because I would not have wanted to give away easy runs. In that one over, not just Dhoni, the entire CSK fans became jokers because they cheered for every one of Dhoni’s sixes notwithstanding the fact that it was a miserable loss.
Against Rajasthan Royals, Jofra Archer, who was otherwise extremely expensive so far, delivered a bouncer that Dhoni was unable to even see. It was delivered at 143KMPH, must below the usual pace of Archer. Dhoni did not know where the ball was until it hit him flush on the face.
Wrapping up shameless Dhoni
I for one, do not mind CSK losing. The supporters of the franchise deserve this. The franchise deserve this. Dhoni deserve this. The infatuation with an individual, the hero-worship must stop. This has attained dangerous levels. I wonder whether Kohli and Rohit will also face the same ignominy or would they rather prefer to be among the backroom staff? Onething is clear. Dhoni is among those who intent to see Indian cricket destroyed because of his insistence on playing without contributing anything.
https://icricketcritique.com/around-the-field/
https://icricketcritique.com/shreyas-iyer-and-the-hundred/
