MS Dhoni Deliberately 'Staying Away' From CSK? Ex-New Zealand Star Makes Stunning Claim
MS Dhoni, 44, is yet to feature this season as he continues to recover from a persistent calf injury.
- Simon Doull feels MS Dhoni is deliberately distancing himself from the franchise to step out of the limelight
- Dhoni, 44, is yet to feature this season as he continues to recover from a persistent calf injury
- "What MS is doing so well is he's staying away. He's staying away from the ground," said Doull
Former New Zealand pacer Simon Doull has made an explosive remark regarding Chennai Super Kings (CSK) icon MS Dhoni. Dhoni, 44, is yet to feature this season as he continues to recover from a persistent calf injury. While the veteran was spotted practicing on the eve of the high-stakes clash against the Mumbai Indians, he notably did not travel with the squad to the Wankhede Stadium. Speaking on Cricbuzz, Doull suggested that this wasn't just about fitness, claiming the former India captain is deliberately distancing himself from the franchise to step out of the limelight and allow the new leadership to breathe.
“What MS is doing so well is he's staying away,” Doull said on Cricbuzz, noting that the former India captain is deliberately keeping a low profile. “He's staying away from the ground… trying in his best possible way, from an absolute legend of the game, to make sure that when they get to the ground the team is ruthless.”
As for the match, Sanju Samson carried his bat with a splendid 101 not out, while Akeal Hosein's stunning 4/17 powered Chennai Super Kings to a crushing 103-run victory over a listless Mumbai Indians in their Indian Premier League clash here on Thursday.
Samson stood tall with a 54-ball 101 (10x4s, 8x6s) in the first half, which took a faltering CSK to a challenging 207/6.
In reply, Mumbai Indians endured a horror start, slumping to 11 for three inside the first three overs, and never recovered as they were bowled out for 104 in 19 overs, their biggest defeat in the IPL.
Backed by a partisan crowd that made it feel more like Chepauk than the Wankhede Stadium, CSK produced a clinical all-round performance despite the absence of MS Dhoni.
In a season marred by poor returns in the powerplay, Mumbai Indians endured their worst start yet, crawling to 29 for three after six overs following an early burst of wickets.
A horror start notwithstanding, MI still had plenty of batting left in the form of last game's centurion Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya, but none could spark a fightback.
With PTI Inputs
Chennai Super Kings
MS Dhoni