Dhoni reveals he had to give chances to players in CSK side to audition for India T20 WC squad.
MS Dhoni revealed the selfless reason for his decision to bat deeper down the order for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in IPL 2024. Batting at No. 8 perplexed fans, who wondered why Dhoni hadn't promoted himself higher up.
The former India captain stated that he wants to give opportunities to CSK players who were in contention for India's T20 World Cup 2024 roster. Dhoni believed there was nothing for him to gain and wanted his teammates to demonstrate their abilities as finishers to secure a spot on the national squad.
Ultimately, CSK players such as Ravindra Jadeja and Shivam Dube made the T20 World Cup roster.
"My thinking was simple- if others are doing their job well, why do I need to come up with the order? If you're talking about last year (season) specifically, the T20 World Cup squad was going to be announced soon. So we have to give people who are fighting for a spot a chance. In our team (CSK), we had a few, [Ravindra] Jadeja was there, Shivam Dube was there, so you allow them to prove themselves to get into the Indian team," Dhoni revealed at an event.
Dhoni underlined that if the other batsmen could successfully play the finisher's role, he did not need to move up the order. He also mentioned that his teammates liked his altruistic attitude.
"There was nothing in it for me, no selection and other things. So I'm good behind [playing down the order] and my team was happy with what I was doing," he added.
Dhoni entertained fans with crucial cameos in IPL 2024 in high-pressure games. In 14 matches, he amassed 161 runs at an impressive average of 53.67 and a staggering strike rate of 220.55.
(India Today inputs)