Udaipur, March 29, 2025: Former Australian all-rounder Shane Watson, surprised by Chennai Super Kings' strategy in the match against Royal Challengers Bangalore, said he doesn't understand why MS Dhoni is batting lower down the order. Chasing a target of 197 runs, CSK suffered a heavy defeat by 50 runs. Watson also believes that captain Ruturaj Gaikwad should have opened the innings.

"Everyone Comes to See Dhoni"

Ravichandran Ashwin was sent to bat before Dhoni, who came in at number nine. Dhoni smashed the RCB bowlers, scoring an unbeaten 30 runs off 16 balls. However, his effort went in vain as it was too late by then. The match was almost over before Dhoni came to the crease. Shane Watson said, "This is what CSK fans come to see—Dhoni's innings of 30 runs off 16 balls."

"Dhoni Should Have Batted Before Ashwin"

Watson added, "I would have loved to see Dhoni come higher in the batting order. In my opinion, he should have batted before Ashwin. Dhoni could have faced 15 more balls, given the situation of the game. Over the years, he has shown he can still bat brilliantly. I believe he should bat higher in the line of batters to show his full potential."

Dhoni Batted Lower Down The Order in 2024

After retiring from international cricket, Dhoni batted lower down the order last season as well. On Friday night, CSK's top and middle order collapsed, with captain Ruturaj Gaikwad getting out for a duck in four balls at number three. Watson said, "I was disappointed to see some decisions, like sending Rahul Tripathi to open. Ruturaj Gaikwad is a great opener, yet he came later. Even one of the shots Ruturaj played, where he tried to hit on the offside by creating space against Hazelwood, was a poor decision."

"Sam Curran Should Bat at Number Seven"

Watson also criticized the decision to send Sam Curran at number five, saying, "Usually, Ruturaj stays on the pitch and rotates the strike, but his shot showed he was under pressure. Deepak Hooda is also not ready to play at the moment. He looked like he was trying to escape every ball. Sending Sam Curran at number five was another wrong decision. I see him as a number seven batsman. CSK’s team combination isn’t right, and they need to make changes. Continuing with this batting order is risky."

Watson Praises Dhoni's Wicketkeeping

Despite his criticism of CSK's strategy, Watson praised Dhoni’s wicketkeeping skills at 43. He said, "As a wicketkeeper, Dhoni is still as quick as ever. He can scatter the stumps in a moment. This shows he is fully prepared." Aakash Chopra agreed, saying, "If CSK had sent Dhoni earlier, they would have had a better chance of winning. Fans loved Dhoni’s short innings, but they would have preferred to see more of him. If Mahi had come earlier, CSK could have won."

"Only Dhoni Can Do Such Stumping"

Chopra also spoke about Dhoni’s unique skills, saying, "Dhoni has the fastest hands in the game. His stumping is unmatched. There is no other player in the world who can stump with such accuracy like Dhoni."

CSK has won one match and lost one so far. Their next match will be against the Rajasthan Royals in Guwahati on Sunday, March 30.