Despite being 43 years old, MS Dhoni is a force to reckon with in the Indian Premier league (IPL). The Chennai Super Kings (CSK) icon has been batting in the lower order for the last couple of IPL seasons.

Considering his big-hitting prowess, it is quite a surprising move. On Friday (March 28), the wicketkeeper-batter walked out to bat at No. 9 against RCB at Chepauk, much to the shock of the fans and former cricketers alike.

While Dhoni scored 30 not out off 16 balls with three boundaries and two sixes, CSK lost the match by 50 runs while chasing RCB’s stiff target of 197.

The likes of Sam Curran, Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin batted ahead of Dhoni, which prompted former India opener Virender Sehwag to quip that the CSK legend came out to bat early as he generally prefers to bat in the last two overs of the innings.

"Jaldi aa gaye na (He came out to bat early)," Sehwag said, sparking a round of laughter in the Cricbuzz post-match show.

"We were talking about this that maybe he will walk out to bat at No.10," added former India cricketer Manoj Tiwary.

Sehwag also wondered whether Dhoni has made up his mind not to come out to bat before the death overs.

"When he came, 16 overs were bowled. Usually, he comes in the 19th or 20th over, so he came out to bat early, didn't he? Either he came out to bat early, or his batters lost wickets far too quickly," Sehwag added.

Here’s the video:

Recently, MS Dhoni mentioned a couple of reasons behind his decision to bat lower down the order in recent years.

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.