Former South African skipper Graeme Smith believes that Chennai Super Kings skipper MS Dhoni has found his usual best in batting and reckoned that the former Indian skipper has huge expectations for the home crowd whenever he walks into bat in the fully packed Chepauk stadium.
The 41-year-old has exceptional with the bat for the four-time champions in this edition of the Indian Premier League playing vital cameos at the end of the innings to give his side much-needed momentum in the final over of the innings.
The former South African opener said that they are a lot of expectations for him to score boundaries whenever he walks on to bat against the visiting team and lauded his brilliance with the bat for the four-time champions, especially for putting Khaleel Ahmed under the pump in the penultimate over against Delhi Capitals.
“The expectations every time he walks out to bat are enormous. The roars every time he gets on strike, the way the crowd goes berserk. It’s incredible to watch and this season, he has found his best again. Khaleel was actually bowling really well, but MS Dhoni read the play and put him under pressure,” Graeme Smith said.
MS Dhoni walked on to bat with a huge reception from the Chepauk crowd, where he played a vital cameo at the end of the innings to score 20 runs off nine balls including two sixes and one four in his batting to help the side post a total of 167-8 at the end of 20 overs.
The former Indian skipper has scored 96 runs from 47 balls in IPL 2023 at an average of 48 and a strike-rate of 204.25 with 3 fours and 10 sixes to his name including seven sixes in the 20th over.
MS Dhoni And Ravindra Jadeja Gave Impetus That Helped CSK to 167 – Graeme Smith
Graeme Smith hailed Chennai Super Kings skipper MS Dhoni for providing the much-needed impetus in the death overs to put pressure back on the Delhi Capitals attack, as the team was struggling at 126-6, where the MS Dhoni batted alongside Ravindra Jadeja post a fighting total at the end of the 20 overs against DC.
“Once Dhoni hit that one drag-down out of the ground, you could see Khaleel not thinking clearly. He was 20 from nine, striking at over 220. It was the impetus and he and Jadeja gave that helped CSK to 167,” Graeme Smith added.
Chennai Super Kings currently have 15 points from 12 games and they will take on the two-time champions Kolkata Knight Riders in their next game at the Chepauk Stadium on May 14 and will look to seal their place in the top two of the points table.