The Chennai Super Kings (CSK) had the worst start to their IPL 2022, losing their first four games.  CSK will need to attempt something new in order to resurrect their season, and former CSK player Parthiv Patel has a "weird" proposal.

Parthiv suggested playing MS Dhoni, Chennai's previous captain, as an opener after Chennai's defeat to Sunrisers Hyderabad on Saturday afternoon. Chennai, he believes, may make the difference if the veteran cricketer can stay at the crease for 14-15 overs.

“He is someone who has revived the CSK side over the years. MS Dhoni started his career as an opener, why not take the role in the fag-end of his career? He is batting at No.7 now and plays hardly 10-15 balls. So why not Dhoni bat up in the order at No.3 or maybe at 4 or open? Just a figure like MS Dhoni, even if he stays there for 14-15 overs you never know. You will have to do something different,” he said on Cricbuzz. 

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Dhoni has never opened in a T20 match, not for India, not for Chennai Super Kings, and not for any other local team. Dhoni has only ever opened in one format, the ODI format, over 17 years ago. In 2005, he made 2 off 7 balls against Sri Lanka, and in 2006, he made a 106-ball 96 against England.

“Every time India was in trouble in seaming conditions, MS Dhoni has got runs, whether it was against Sri Lanka where he got 80 in Dharamsala or in Chennai against Pakistan where he got a hundred. With his technique, everyone would think that he would struggle on a seaming wicket, and here the ball is seaming around in the first 4-5 overs and he has his own technique and knows how to survive. And once he has survived those 15-20 balls, you never know what the thought may be,” Parthiv added. 

In T20, he batted at No. 3 for CSK, with the last time being in 2011. In seven innings, he scored 188 runs, including one half-century.