IPL 2018: Sunil Gavaskar hails this move of MS Dhoni as the masterstroke

The Chennai Super Kings registered a thrilling win over the defending champions Mumbai Indians in the season opener this year. Now, they are set to play their first home game of the season. They will be hosting the Kolkata Knight Riders in Chennai. Ahead of the game, former Indian cricketer Sunil Gavaskar has showered praises on the returning franchise and their skipper, MS Dhoni.

Sunil Gavaskar, in his recent column for Times of India, spoke at length about the various prospects of this first home game of the Super Kings. He remarked that for the home side to excel, veteran batsman Suresh Raina will have to score big. He added that Raina is an impact player and hence, if he gets going, a lot of things will start weighing in the favor of the hosts.

“Chennai will hope that Suresh Raina fires, for he can take the game away from the opposition in a jiffy. For that to happen, the Chennai team needs a good start. If he is facing the quicker bowlers, Raina tends to look to hit from the first ball by backing away as he does not want to be seen getting out to a short ball. Of course, in T20 cricket, making room and playing through the off-side is a regular shot,” Sunil Gavaskar quoted.

CSK returns home

Commenting further on the game, Sunil Gavaskar remarked that it will be delight for the fans in Chennai to see their side back in action after two long years. Albeit there are external influences hampering the preparations at the venue, Gavaskar feels it will be a big moment for sure. The Knight Riders are also in good form and hence, it will be a cracking game of cricket.

“It will be a huge moment for the Chennai Super Kings fans who will get to see their beloved team in action after two years, and you can be sure the M A Chidambaram stadium will be packed to the rafters and there won’t be much else apart from yellow seen at the ground,” mentioned the former Indian captain.

Dhoni’s master move

Furthermore, Gavaskar looked particularly impressed with the captaincy of MS Dhoni. He hailed the strategy of playing three spinners by Dhoni. Dhoni made quick changes in the bowling lineup in the first game. He shuffled between Harbhajan Singh, Ravindra Jadeja, and Imran Tahir very well to get things done for his side.

“Dhoni’s tactics of going in with three spinners is a good one, as batsmen today are looking for the extra pace to heave the ball over the ropes and the slower the ball comes off the pitch that much more difficult for the batsmen to get the elevation as well as the distance,” Gavaskar noted.

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