Chennai Super Kings (CSK) legend MS Dhoni’s batting position has become a topic of debate in the ongoing Indian Premier Legaue (IPL) 2025 season.

There was a lot of backlash on social media as Dhoni walked out to bat at No. 9 during CSK’s marquee clash against RCB at Chepauk last Friday (March 28).

While Dhoni scored 30 not out off 16 balls with three boundaries and two sixes, CSK fell 50 runs short in the chase of 197. After the criticism, the wicketkeeper-batter came to bat at No. 7 against Rajasthan Royals in Guwahati on Sunday (March 30).

Meanwhile, former India cricketer Robin Uthappa has weighed in on the debate, saying that he doesn't understand the logic of Dhoni coming so lower down the order.

"Frustrated. F*****g frustrated. What the f**k is going on, dude! He might as well have (batted even lower than No. 9). It wouldn’t have made a difference. I would say ‘befuddlement’ is too weak a term. What the heck! Like what is the thinking? Because you know you won’t win the game by the time he’s coming to bat. By the time (Ravichandran) Ashwin’s coming to bat, you know you have less than a slim chance of winning the game," Uthappa said on The KimAppa show with cricket analyst Jarrod Kimber.

"The only thing you can give yourself the best chance to do is reduce that net run rate. The margins in the IPL are so slim at the back end that you want to keep your net run rate as much in the positive as possible, right?” he added.

CSK have not gotten off to an ideal start in the 18th edition of the IPL. After starting their campaign with a four-wicket victory over Mumbai Indians, the Ruturaj Gaikwad-led side suffered back-to-back defeats at the hands of RCB and RR.

Uthappa said Dhoni should have come higher up the batting order against RCB especially when the required rate had increased considerably.

“What confuses me is that the asking rate was so high in the 13th and 14th over (in the game vs RCB). I was like, there’s no way MS is going to come below number eight cause at number eight, you still felt like I want the other guys to take the chunk of the workload, so if push comes to shove, I’m going to be there," Uthappa stated.

"Here push came to shove and then went some more as well, and still he had turned up, and then you’re wondering what’s the thinking behind this because it doesn’t augur well for CSK," he further remarked.

After CSK’s six-run loss to RR, head coach Stephen Fleming explained the reasoning behind MS Dhoni's batting position.

"MS judges it. His body is, his knees aren't what they used to be. And he's moving okay, but there's still an attrition aspect to it. He can't bat 10 overs running full stick. So he will gauge on the day what he can give us. If the game's in the balance like today, he will go a little bit earlier, and he backs other players when other opportunities are up. So he's balancing that," Fleming said in the post-match presser.

"I said it last year [as well], he's too valuable to us - leadership and wicket-keeping - to throw him in nine, ten overs. He has actually never done that. So, look, from around 13-14 overs, he's looking to go depending on who's in," he added.

Chennai Super Kings will next face Delhi Capitals in their home ground at Chepauk on Saturday (April 5).