Reports: MS Dhoni's batting position linked to leg muscle tear

Legendary cricketer MS Dhoni is struggling with a muscle tear in the ongoing IPL 2024, which has forced him to bat lower down the order. Despite being in good form and scoring boundaries in limited opportunities, Dhoni coming out to bat at number eight or nine was shocking, especially given the fact that the team needs to win their remaining matches to stay in the qualification race for the playoffs.

Former cricketer Harbhajan Singh, meanwhile, has stated that Dhoni should drop himself from the playing XI and advised CSK to play a bowler if the latter decides to bat below Shardul Thakur in crunch times. However, a recent report claims that the 42-year-old is dealing with a muscle injury and since the five-time champions do not have a proper backup, Dhoni has decided to keep playing.

Also Read - MS Dhoni shouldn’t play if he wants to bat at number nine: Harbhajan Singh

“We are virtually playing with our ‘B’ team. Those who are criticizing Dhoni don’t know the sacrifice that he is doing for this team,” a CSK source was quoted as saying by The Times of India.

Notably, Dhoni hasn’t been spotted in any discomfort during keeping. He wasn’t shy in picking quick singles or doubles in previous matches and so it remains unclear when the cricketer picked up the injury. Meanwhile, with Mustafizur Rahman and Matheesha Pathirana not available for the rest of the season, CSK has the option to sign a keeper but that seems unlikely at the moment.

Also Read - MS Dhoni batting at No.9 doesn’t work for CSK: Irfan Pathan

Dhoni has batted in nine innings so far and has smashed 110 runs at a strike rate of 224.48. He has dominated bowlers in the death overs and will hope to do so in the remaining games as the IPL is slowly edging towards its business end. The Ruturaj Gaikwad-led side is currently third on the points table, with 12 points from 11 matches and another two victories in three matches can secure their berth in the playoffs. However, if they win all their remaining three matches, CSK will definitely feature in the playoffs.