MS Dhoni quit captaincy after leading CSK to IPL title in 2023.
Manjrekar refused to engage in the debate about whether Dhoni should bat higher up the order, but he argued that the wicketkeeper-batter is currently being underutilised by the five-time champions.
Manjrekar's comments came after CSK drew flak for sending Dhoni at No. 9 during their unsuccessful chase of 197 against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) on Friday (March 28).
The likes of Sam Curran, Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin batted ahead of Dhoni, who came to the crease in the 16th over and scored 30* off 16 balls with three boundaries and two sixes.
"I will look at the larger picture," Manjrekar told JioHotstar when asked whether Dhoni should bat higher in the order.
"If you look at this year and even last year, Dhoni is playing more as a brand than as a player. When they select the playing XI, they don't pick an extra batter because MS is there. MS Dhoni is a bonus for them. He has a different role.
"That's why I think if MS Dhoni is playing and batting so late, he should be the captain. He is doing great as a wicketkeeper, but he would contribute more as captain. Right now, he is being underutilised," he added.
Recently, MS Dhoni mentioned a couple of reasons behind his decision to bat lower down the order in the last two seasons.
During the IPL 2023, Dhoni was often seen with a strapped left knee while training and later it came to fore that he played the entire season with an injury for which he underwent a surgery once the tournament ended with CSK winning their fifth title. With his movements restricted, he wasn’t able to run as quickly in between the wickets and thus demoted himself.
Dhoni continued to bat low down the order in the IPL 2024 as two of his CSK teammates – Ravindra Jadeja and Shivam Dube – were among the contenders for India’s T20 World Cup squad.
“I had a little issue with my knee (during IPL 2023) but last year it was more manageable," Dhoni said on JioHotstar.
“Also, there was selection for the (T20) world cup. If you look at our team Ravindra Jadeja and Shivam Dube were among the contenders. So, you obviously want to give them the chance (to stake their claim)."
"Mera selection nahi hona hai (I am not going to be selected and not competing for a spot). And they were doing the job (well). It’s not like that franchise is getting harmed if you are promoting players. Overall, if everybody is fulfilling their responsibilities and taking the pressure of then why not? So that was the thinking behind. But if they weren’t playing that well then, the thinking changes. If a decision benefits everyone, then why not?" he added.
Dhoni stepped down as captain after leading CSK to the IPL 2023 title, passing the baton to Ruturaj Gaikwad ahead of the 2024 season. CSK narrowly missed out on a playoff spot last year, losing the fourth-place position to RCB on Net Run Rate.