The distinct lack of firepower in Mahendra Singh Dhoni's death overs batting is a sensitive area that CSK need to address in their away game
Photo: Punjab Kings/iplt20/BCCI
Having opted to bat first against a depleted Chennai Super Kings on Tuesday, Shreyas Iyer-led Punjab Kings look more well-rounded than the Chennai side who are grappling with combination problems.
The distinct lack of firepower in Mahendra Singh Dhoni's death overs batting is a sensitive area that CSK need to address in their away game.
In one of their worst starts to an IPL season, CSK have now completed a hat-trick of defeats, all while chasing.
Punjab Kings lost their previous game against Rajasthan Royals at home but on current form as well as on paper.
Dhoni's presence at the back-end, which once was considered a boon, is turning into bane for the 'Yellow Brigade'.
But such is the aura of the man playing his 18th IPL season (only one apart from Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma), that no one in the CSK ranks can probably walk up to the man and show him the mirror.
While 'Brand Dhoni' still rules the hearts of CSK aficionados and cheer is deafening when he enters the turf, the game against Delhi Capitals was certainly an awakening for his supporters that there is more to a team than their 'Beloved Thala' and probably it's time to move on.
The opposition teams now expect to bat first and somehow score anything above 180 knowing that it would be an uphill task for CSK unless Shivam Dube fires.
Now Dube is a muscular hit and miss kind of a player and odds of his success with his template will always be 50-50.
Dhoni's greatness in all these years has been his immaculate sense of timing whether it is bidding adieu to captaincy or retiring from international game. Will he decide himself once again or wait for the nudge?
With Dhoni being the same player and no one to "bell the cat", CSK are in unusual mess with a mis-firing top-order where the skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad has had to give up his opening slot.
PBKS vs CSK, IPL 2025: Playing XIs
Punjab Kings: Priyansh Arya, Prabhsimran Singh (wk), Shreyas Iyer (c), Shashank Singh, Marcus Stoinis, Nehal Wadhera, Glenn Maxwell, Marco Jansen, Arshdeep Singh, Lockie Ferguson, Yuzvendra Chahal.
Chennai Super Kings: Rachin Ravindra, Devon Conway, Ruturaj Gaikwad(c), Vijay Shankar, Ravindra Jadeja, MS Dhoni (wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Noor Ahmad, Mukesh Choudhary, Khaleel Ahmed, Matheesha Pathirana
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