Former India cricketer-turned-commentator Aakash Chopra didn’t filter his words as he highlighted MS Dhoni’s poor performances in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) season.

Dhoni has had a forgettable campaign, scoring 196 runs at an average of 24.50 and a strike rate of 135.17, with the highest score of 30 not out to his name.

His poor show has coincided with CSK’s dismal run. The five-time champions are languishing at the bottom of the points table with just three wins from 13 matches.

Amidst the debacle, Dhoni’s utility has been a topic of debate. On two occasions this season, he has come out to bat at No.9, drawing backlash from the fans and experts alike. Moreover, the legendary finisher has also been unable to finish off games apart from the clash against Lucknow Super Giants.

Speaking on Star Sports, Chopra mentioned how the veteran wicketkeeper has only scored runs in losing cause.

“Over the last couple of seasons, he has consistently batted at position 7 or lower in every single innings. If you dig a little deeper, you'll find that he has batted at positions 8 or 9 about 45% of the time during this period. While he has hit quite a few sixes, most of those runs have come when the matches were already out of reach,” Chopra said.

He also pointed out Dhoni’s struggle against spinners and his dropped catches behind the stumps.

“His contributions in winning causes haven't been particularly impressive. One key concern is his dot-ball percentage against spin — it's at 45%, which is among the highest and something fans should take seriously. As a wicketkeeper, he's shown flashes of brilliance, but the numbers tell a slightly different story. He's conceded the most runs among keepers this season. While he has taken 5 catches, he has also dropped 4 — a stat that's quite surprising and not something we're used to seeing from him,” Chopra added.

After CSK’s win against KKR at the Eden Gardens earlier this month, MS Dhoni had addressed the question on his IPL future, stating that he still has 6-8 months to decide whether he’ll play the next IPL season or not.

"A lot of them (crowd) don’t know when it is going to be my last time, so they want to come and see me play. There is no escaping the fact that I am in the last phase of my career. After this IPL gets over, I have to work hard for another 6-8 months to see if my body can take this pressure," Dhoni had said at the post-match presentation.