The chances of MS Dhoni giving Chennai Super Kings’ next game against Rajasthan Royals a miss have increased, as he did not practice, as per a report in Sportstar.
Dhoni batted with a back issue during CSK’s previous tie against Kings XI Punjab and struggled while batting.
(Read Here: 3 players who can replace MS Dhoni in playing XI)
MS Dhoni is likely to miss CSK’s next tie. Image Courtesy: BCCI
However, he continued to bat on and put CSK close for a win before the team missed a chance by a whisker. Dhoni was finding it difficult to go for shots outside off-stump, an area where Mohit Sharma bowled a couple of times.
While Dhoni said he would be fit for the next game, there are indications that he might miss the contest to be fit for coming matches, as it’s a long tournament and all teams need their key players to be fit.
If Dhoni skips the next tie, Chennai Super Kings will not just need a wicket-keeper, but a new captain as well.
Ambati Rayudu, who had kept wickets in the IPL, might keep wickets for Chennai Super Kings. On captaincy front, the name of Harbhajan Singh and Ravindra Jadeja is leading the race.
(Read Here: 3 players who can lead CSK in next game in Dhonis absence)
While Harbhajan had led a team in the IPL, Jadeja is yet to captain any side. Chennai Super Kings are highly unlikely to reveal or give any update on Dhoni’s fitness before the start of the game.
Talking of the player who could replace Dhoni in the playing XI, Dhruv Shorey is leading the race to make his IPL debut. He was purchased by Chennai Super Kings at his base price of Rs 20 Lakh.
The Chennai Super Kings vs Rajasthan Royals game will be the first game for CSK in Pune – their new home ground. All CSK home matches were shifted to Pune after BCCI decided not to organise any game in Chennai due to protest.