MS Dhoni was slammed by former players when he came out to bat at the number nine slot against Punjab Kings in the Indian Premier League 2024. Shardul Thakur and Sameer Rizvi were promoted in the batting order and when Dhoni finally arrived, he was dismissed on the first ball. Harbhajan Singh, who has played for Chennai Super Kings, was blunt and urged Dhoni to drop himself and include one extra bowler if he wants to bat at the number nine position.
According to The Times of India, Dhoni is down with a muscle tear in his leg and he can’t bat up the order. He has been told to avoid running but the veteran is being forced to contine as a wicket-keeper as the franchise doesn’t have a reserve player who can don the gloves.
Devon Conway was ruled out of the cash-rich league and his absence has impacted Dhoni. If Conway was available, the legendary cricketer would have rested himself.
Meanwhile, the tear happened in the initial matches of IPL 2024 and Dhoni is playing through pain. He is making sure to limit his running. Mahi has been suggested to take rest by doctors but he doesn’t have a choice as the defending champions have been hit hard by injuries.
“We are playing with B team. The critics of MS Dhoni don’t know about the sacrifice he is making for the franchise,” a source told the Times of India.
Dhoni went under knife to fix his knee surgery after the last season of the tournament. Although, his knee has healed but the muscle tear is impacting his movement.
During the practice sessions, Dhonl is only practicing sixes and fours.
