IPL 2018: MS Dhoni is a master at finding the perfect combination, says Kris Srikkanth

MS Dhoni himself has been special with the bat, says Srikkanth.

Chennai are standing at second spot in the IPL 2018 points table | IANS

Mahendra Singh Dhoni was phenomenal while leading the Indian Cricket team throughout his Captaincy career, and even fantastically leading Chennai Super Kings (CSK) to 2 Indian Premier League (IPL) titles.

It was all because of his brilliant leading skills, and because of it, Dhoni is regarded as one of the best captains across the world, leading India to many ICC T20 events and a World Cup triumph.

At the moment, Dhoni is leading CSK in the IPL 2018, where they have been displaying a superb character on the field, comfortably sitting at No.2 only behind Hyderabad in the IPL 2018 points table.

Following CSK’s splendid run in the IPL 2018, former Indian cricketer Kris Srikkanth looks awfully overwhelmed with the way Dhoni is leading the franchise in the tournament. He also pointed out Dhoni’s ability to assign his players' certain roles is one the reasons of his successful captaincy.

Srikkanth wrote in his column for Times of India, “A cursory glance at the points table and no one would know, Chennai Super Kings were not in the scheme of things for two seasons. The former champions have been as consistent as in their previous years, thanks to them finding a settled combination straightaway.”

He further noted, “MS Dhoni is a past master at finding the perfect combination and more importantly he ensures each player realizes his role and settles into it quickly. The confidence he showed in Deepak Chahar and Ambati Rayudu is a vital lesson for other skippers.”

Commenting on CSK line-up, he pointed out, “Despite losing a few players and some plagued by injuries in between, CSK has been the team to beat. What happens when a captain allocates clear roles is the dependence on individual performance comes down drastically. Dhoni himself has been special with the bat and at the same time, every member has been contributing significantly as well. Going toward the business end of the tournament, the only change I would like to see in CSK is Rayudu playing the role of a permanent opener. I am not a big believer in constant changing of the batting order. Barring this, CSK is moving as a well-oiled machine and will definitely start as favorites against Rajasthan Royals.”

On Friday (11 May), CSK will play the struggling Rajasthan Royals (RR) at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur in their next IPL 2018 match, and Srikkanth said CSK have always struggled in Jaipur and the hosts can take advantage of it as they have nothing more to lose.

Former Indian opener further added, “On the other hand, every game is a knock out for Rajasthan. Sometimes this can bring out the best in teams as they have nothing more to lose. Ajinkya Rahane seems to have found his ideal playing XI in the last few games. The former champions can only hope that every aspect of their game plan clicks to put it past a team like CSK.”

Srikkanth signed off by saying, “At home, Rajasthan have been a very good side and CSK have always struggled in Jaipur. This could be the confidence boost that can drive the hosts forward. A win for them would further tighten the table, but for that to happen Rajasthan have to punch well above their weight.”

 
 

By Rashmi Nanda - 11 May, 2018

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