Former Indian cricketer and middle-order batsman Suresh Raina feels MS Dhoni should bat at number three for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the upcoming edition of the Indian Premier League.
Fondly called by fans as ‘Chinna Thala’, Raina feels that Dhoni would be able to freely express himself while batting at No. 3 spot in IPL.
Dhoni batted at the top-order at the start of his white-ball career, but positioned himself at the middle-order as the years progressed.
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No. 3 is a very crucial position to bat: Suresh Raina
Raina strongly backs the idea of MS Dhoni batting at the number three spot in IPL, considering the latter’s experience in the international cricket and the move could offer him ‘flexibility’. He even believes the decision could prove wonders for the three-time IPL champions in the forthcoming edition.
“He has the experience to bat at that position. How can one forget Dhoni’s 148 against Pakistan in the second ODI at Visakhapatnam in April 2005? It’s a very crucial position and the No.3 position will give Dhoni more flexibility” said Raina in an exclusive interview to Outlook India.
A few days back, former Indian cricketer and colleague Gautam Gambhir had expressed a similar interest of wanting to see MS Dhoni bat at No 3 in UAE and make the most of the opportunity, considering there are players like Sam Curran, Kedar Jadhav, and Dwayne Bravo offering the much-needed batting depth.
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In ODIs, Dhoni batted at the number three spot on 16 occasions, amassing 993 runs at a mind-boggling average and strike rate of 82.75 and 99.70 respectively. He managed to rack 2 centuries and 6 half-centuries, with 183* vs Pakistan at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur being his personal best in the 50-over format.
In Chennai Super Kings, he bats mostly in the middle-order. At No. 4, the Ranchi lad averages 37.65, amassing 1506 runs at a strike rate of 139.32. The numbers are even better at No. 5, where he has clobbered 1803 runs, averaging 50.08, and a strike rate of 145.87.
Last season, he batted throughout the No. 5 spot and emerged as the top-scorer for CSK with 416 runs at an average of 83.20. In IPL 2018, he aggregated 455 runs at an average of 75.83, while batting at No. 4.
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Raina, who is the highest run-getter for CSK (5368 runs) and the second-highest run-getter in IPL, is currently in India following his decision to return home just a few days back due to personal reasons. However, the southpaw opened recently that he has been training regularly since his arrival to India, and hinted that he might return to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) when the COVID-19 scare lessens.
IPL 2020 is all set to take off from September 19, and this would mark the thirteenth edition of the cash-rich T20 tournament.
Dhoni, who hasn’t played any competitive cricket since India’s exit in the 2019 World Cup semi-finals, had announced his retirement from international cricket lately in the month of August. With IPL approaching, the fans are going bonkers to see the former Indian skipper back in action while donning the Yellow jersey.
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