IPL 2018: MS Dhoni set to bat higher up the order for CSK

The batting position of MS Dhoni in T20 Internationals has been a matter of debate for a long time now as he requires more time before going berserk. He will be under the scanner similarly during the Indian Premier League (IPL) when he will take the field for Chennai Super Kings. While there is a lot of anticipation of him coming back as the captain, his batting skills will also be looked upon closely. However, the coach of CSK Stephen Fleming has cleared that Dhoni will bat ‘relatively high’ in the batting order.

CSK, as a franchise, is marking their return to the fray of the T20 extravaganza this year. There is a lot of buzz around them with the fans filling the Chepauk Stadium to watch their heroes even practising. They will play their first game of the tournament against the defending Champions Mumbai Indians on April 7.

Where will Dhoni bat?

Stephen Fleming has cleared all the air by confirming that MS Dhoni will play a prominent role as the batsman this year and will not only bat as the finisher for the team.

“MS will bat relatively high. It’s not necessarily a position with him, but a time that we may choose depending on what conditions we see. But he will definitely play a more prominent role as a batsman. We’ve picked (Kedar) Jadhav, (Ambati) Rayudu, (Ravindra) Jadeja & (Dwayne) Bravo so we can plan the middle phase. Looking at our side, there are a lot of multi-skilled players, and while not diminishing their main skills there is a lot of options that we can use,” he was quoted as saying by Cricbuzz on Monday.

Fleming, however, also is hopeful of the Indian pacer Shardul Thakur to come good throughout the tournament and is tipping him to be a death-overs specialist. “I do see Thakur as a bowler for the slog and he’s done it for India. He has been with me in Pune Supergiant during his developmental phase. He has got real talent. The challenge for those two players (Thakur and Chahar) is to find their consistency in performance,” he added.

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