IPL 2021: Michael Vaughan Feels MS Dhoni Should Drop Down The Batting Order If It's A "Must-Win" Match For CSK

Chennai Super Kings dropped to the second position on the points table on Monday after losing by 3 wickets to Delhi Capitals in a low-scoring encounter in Dubai. CSK put up 136 runs on the board in their 20 overs after being put into bat by DC skipper Rishabh Pant. Ambati Rayudu was the top scorer with an unbeaten knock of 55 from 43 deliveries. The pitch wasn't the easiest to bat on with the ball not coming on to the bat and that ensured even DC batters struggled to get going. Eventually, it was a cameo of 28 runs off 18 deliveries from West Indies batter Shimron Hetmyer that saw DC through.

While there was no question about the pitch being a difficult one for batters, CSK captain MS Dhoni's knock of 18 runs off 27 deliveries is something which left many wondering what could have been if the in-form Ravindra Jadeja had come in to bat above his skipper. Jadeja, who has time and again bailed CSK out with quickfire knocks in the death overs, got to play just two deliveries.

Speaking about Dhoni's current batting form and what could be the best batting line-up for CSK, on the mid-innings show on Cricbuzz, former England captain Michael Vaughan said that the CSK captain should bat lower down the order. 

"The honest truth is if you are picking a Chennai batting unit on a must-win day, you could argue that MS Dhoni should come behind Jadeja, Bravo and Thakur, with the way that he is playing. That is just the honest truth," Vaughan said, while in conversation with veteran cricket commentator Harsha Bhogle and cricket presenter Gaurav Kapur.

"I hate saying that because he is a legend of the game. If you are looking at the best batting line-up at the minute, in the form that the players are in, you would say that MS Dhoni would not be coming in where he came in today," Vaughan added.

He also said that Chennai Super Kings tend to have targets in mind while batting first and they try to achieve that target and then back themselves to defend it.

"I just get a sense with this Chennai team today they got this number in the head, saw yesterday's game, and they wanted to get somewhere competitive around 130-140. They got there by playing conventional and then with the ball in hand they tried to see if 136 was good enough.

"They seem like a team who who have this strategy. They look out for this number and try to go and get it and they back themselves to defend it," Vaughan added.

CSK could still have won the match had substitute fielder Krishnappa Gowtham not dropped a crucial catch of Hetmyer in the 18th over.

Chennai Super Kings play their final league game against Punjab Kings on Thursday and will try to finish in the top two positions.

Topics mentioned in this article

Chennai Super Kings MS Dhoni Michael Vaughan IPL 2021 Cricket