IPL 2021: Sunil Gavaskar impressed with MS Dhoni’s captaincy after CSK’s win over RR in Mumbai

Former Indian captain MS Dhoni is the only one to have won all the three ICC Trophies including the 2007 T20 World Cup, 2011 World Cup, and 2013 Champions Trophy. Dhoni is known for taking calculated risks and has one of the smartest cricketing brains. Though Dhoni, the batsman, is not even half as effective as his prime, he is still one of the best wicketkeepers and captains in the business. 

The former captain again gave a glimpse of his presence of mind and strategic brain when his team Chennai Super Kings (CSK) locked horns with Rajasthan Royals (RR) at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Monday. RR were chasing a daunting target of 189 when Dhoni correctly gauged the nature of the pitch to help Ravindra Jadeja scalp the wicket of Jos Buttler.

In the fifth ball of the 10th over of Rajasthan Royals, Buttler smashed a stunning maximum over mid-wicket off Jadeja. It resulted in the umpires getting a new ball and seeing the pitch, Dhoni told Jadeja that the dry ball will turn. 

Exactly same happened during Jadeja’s next over as on the first ball of the 12th over, the spin all-rounder uprooted the stumps of Buttler. Buttler’s wicket proved to be the turning point of the game as it initiated a collapse of the batting line-up and CSK registered a comfortable victory by 45 runs.

Sunil Gavaskar applauds MS Dhoni

Meanwhile, the cricket fraternity was in awe of Dhoni’s cricketing brain as they lavished praises on the CSK skipper for changing the course of the game. Lauding Dhoni for his captaincy, Sunil Gavaskar said in the post-match show on Star Sports, “The bowling changes he made (was brilliant). The moment the ball was changed after Jos Buttler hit that six and a dry ball came, he said it in Hindi to Jadeja that the next ball will turn and it did turn.”

“Jos Buttler got out and then he gave the ball to Moeen Ali. A dry ball for a spinner… Again, brilliant captaincy from Dhoni. Very impressed (with Dhoni’s captaincy)… In his 200th match as captain of CSK, he was spot on with just about everything. The bowling changes, the field placements. Jadeja took 4 catches but apart from that, look at the number of boundaries he saved and that is so important, to keep the right fielders in the right position and Dhoni had that,” he added.

Scott Styris also applauded Dhoni as he asserted that the 39-year-old deserved victory in his 200th match as CSK captain for his ability to read the pitch perfectly.