"He should be playing at No.4 or No.5": Kaif on Dhoni's 37-run knock against DC

Apr 01, 2024

Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh) [India], April 1 : Former India cricketer Mohammad Kaif opened up on former Chennai Super Kings (CSK) skipper MS Dhoni's unbeaten 37-run knock against Delhi Capitals in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and said that the star wicketkeeper-batsman should be batting at numbers 4 and 5 in the upcoming games.
Dhoni played 16 balls and scored 37 runs against the Delhi-based franchise. The former India skipper delighted the fans after smashing 4 fours and 3 overhead boundaries. However, Dhoni's fiery performance did not help CSK win the game, as they conceded a 20-run defeat against DC.
Kaif shared a video on his official X account and said that 8th place in the batting order is not meant for him. He added that Dhoni's form can help CSK win matches only if he comes early to bat.
"But the way he batted today, this No.8 isn't his spot. He should be playing at No.4 or No.5. Come in and playing a few deliveries but Dhoni is batting way too low at No.8. The form that we saw today, that spot is too low and you would like to see him come early and help CSK win matches," said Kaif.
The 43-year-old also hailed DC's bowling attack and said that they were "very good" against CSK on Sunday. He further added that even though DC skipper Rishabh Pant came into form, Dhoni took the "limelight" from the match.
"Delhi's bowling was very good, Rishabh Pant came into form, but Dhoni took home the limelight in Vizag. It was superb batting, the ball were going off the middle," he added.
"Sound of Dhoni's bat hitting the ball is players' heartbeat. Tiger Zinda Hai aur dahaad raha hai," Kaif wrote on X while sharing the video.
https://x.com/MohammadKaif/status/1774505663340929241?s=20
Recapping the match, former CSK skipper MS Dhoni (37*) produced some classic vintage hitting in the final over, sending the crowd into a frenzy yet the game was gone much before his final over heroics.
Despite Dhoni going on a scoring spree, the DC bowlers were exceptional while defending 192. Khaleel Ahmed scripted the narrative in favour of DC by dismissing the opening pair of Ruturaj Gaikwad and Rachin Ravindra for 1 and 2, respectively. Ajinkya Rahane (45) and Daryl Mitchell (34) tried to get things going for CSK with their 68-run stand. But Axar Patel provided the breakthrough by removing Mitchell. Mukesh Kumar swooped in from the other end to remove Rahane and help Delhi clinch their first win of the season.