29 March 2025 (Punjab Khabarnama Bureau): Cricket fans have sort of made peace with MS Dhoni batting a limited number of balls in the IPL. It has been the case for the last few seasons. More than the batting number, Dhoni focuses on the balls remaining to decide when he should walk out to bat. Despite all this, No.9 seems too bitter a pill to digest. In Chennai Super Kings’ 197-run chase against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, Dhoni batted at No.9. The ones batting ahead of him were Sam Curran, Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin.
In his prime, Dhoni was a cut above all of them. At 43, he has lost some of his sheen, but he still cannot bat lower than Ashwin in a T20 match if he is fit to be part of CSK’s XI. Definitely not when the asking rate is above 16 runs per over. Let’s be honest: Dhoni coming in at No.8 perhaps would not have made much of a difference in the outcome of Friday’s match as RCB were so far ahead of the game but it would have kept them on their toes.
When Ashwin got out for a laborious 11 off 8 with just boundary, taking the asking rate to 19 runs per over, it was way beyond even Dhoni’s miracle abilities.
Sehwag sparks laugh riot with comment on MS Dhoni’s batting number
So bizarre was Dhoni’s decision to bat at No.9 that former India opener Virender Sehwag, who has shared the dressing room with Dhoni for eight years, jokingly said the CSK legend came out to bat early as he generally prefers to bat in the last two overs of the innings.
“Jaldi aa gaye na (He came out to bat early),” Sehwag said, sparking a round of laughter in the Cricbuzz post-match show after RCB’s 50-run win.
“We were talking about this that maybe he will walk out to bat at No.10,” added former India cricketer Manoj Tiwary.
Sehwag said it appears that as if Dhoni has made up his mind not to come out to bat before the death overs.
“When he came, 16 overs were bowled. Usually, he comes in the 19th or 20th over, so he came out to bat early, didn’t he? Either he came out to bat early, or his batters lost wickets far too quickly,” Sehwag added.
Dhoni hit three fours and a couple of sixes in the last two overs of the match, scoring 30 off 16 balls at by far the best strike rate (187.5) by any CSK batter on Friday but was it of any use at No.9? The question will ring loud in every CSK fan’s mind.
As for Dhoni, in a recent interview with Jio, he clarified his decision to bat lower down the order by saying that he wanted to give a chance to the youngsters who have a shot at making it to the Indian T20I side. That logic doesn’t hold much worth in the match against RCB for both Jadeja and Ashwin, who batted ahead of Dhoni, are already retired from T20Is.
That again brings us to the OG question: Why did Dhoni bat at No.9? Guess we will never know.
Summary: Sehwag humorously comments on MS Dhoni’s decision to bat at No. 9 in CSK’s loss to RCB, sparking laughter and debate.