MS Dhoni’s warning to CSK bowlers: Improve or ‘be ready to ready to play under a new captain’

Despite Chennai Super Kings’ win again against Lucknow Super Giants at MA Chidambaram Stadium, CSK skipper MS Dhoni has sent a warning to his team’s bowlers. On Monday, playing at the home ground, Chennai Super Kings set a massive target of 218 for LSG but Dhoni’s side could only manage to eke out a narrow victory. Lucknow Super Giants ended up just 12 runs short of the target. One element that played out in favour of LSG was the number of wide balls and no balls that CSK bowlers bowled during their chase.

“They will have to bowl no no-balls and less wides. We are bowling too many extra deliveries. Or they have to be ready to play under a new caption at some point of time. This is my second warning. And I will be off,” Dhoni said after the win, referring to CSK bowlers bowling 13 wides and 3 no balls against LSG during the match.

“Fast bowling we need to slightly improve. Need to bowl according to the conditions. What is important is to keep an eye as to what the opposition bowlers are doing,” Dhoni said.

This is the second match of IPL 2023 where Dhoni’s side have conceded way too many extra deliveries. CSK bowlers conceded 12 extras – 6 leg byes, 2 no-balls and 4 wides – in their first match against Gujarat Titans, a match which Gujarat Titans won by five wickets.

Before the start of IPL 2023, there were speculations that this edition could be Dhoni’s last season as a player for CSK.

CSK will be taking on Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium on Saturday. In the Monday’s match against Lucknow Super Giants, CSK openers Ruturaj Gaikwad (57 off 31 balls with three fours and four sixes) and Devon Conway (47 off 29 balls with five fours and two sixes) put on a stand of 110 runs for the first wicket in just 55 balls. Quick cameos from Shivam Dube (27 off 16 balls, one four and three sixes), Ambati Rayudu (27 off 14 balls, with two fours and two sixes) and Dhoni helped CSK reach a massive score.

On the personal front, Dhoni crossed the 5,000 run mark in Indian Premier League (IPL) during the match against Lucknow Super Giants. Now in 236 matches, Dhoni has scored 5,004 runs at an average of 39.09. He has scored 24 half-centuries in his IPL career, with the best score of 84. His runs have come at a strike rate of over 135.53. The CSK skipper is also the seventh-highest run scorer in IPL history. He is behind stars like Virat Kohli (6,706 runs), Shikhar Dhawan (6,284 runs), David Warner (5,937 runs), Rohit Sharma (5,880 runs), Suresh Raina (5,528 runs) and AB de Villiers (5,162 runs). (With Agency Inputs)