IPL 2025: MS Dhoni at number 9? CSK coach decodes
What's the story
Chennai Super Kings coach, Stephen Fleming, recently explained why MS Dhoni has been batting lower down the order in their 2025 Indian Premier League encounters.
The former Indian captain batted at number seven in their defeat against Rajasthan Royals. His entry at number nine against Royal Challengers Bengaluru shocked the experts and fans.
Fleming informed that Dhoni has been managing his workload while balancing his wicket-keeping duties for IPL 2025.
Physical limitations
Knee condition behind his batting position?
Fleming spoke to the media after CSK's narrow six-run loss to Rajasthan Royals, explaining Dhoni's batting position.
He said the decision was affected by Dhoni's knee condition, which affects his ability to withstand long batting sessions.
"His knees aren't what they used to be," Fleming said. "And he's moving okay, but there's still an attrition aspect to it. He can't bat 10 overs running full stick."
Strategic decision
Batting position determined by match situation
Fleming further elaborated that Dhoni evaluates his physical condition on a day-to-day basis to determine how much he can contribute to the team.
"He will gage on the day what he can give us," Fleming explained. "If the game's in the balance like today, he will go a little bit earlier, and he backs other players when other opportunities are up."
This way, CSK gets the most out of Dhoni while managing his physical limitations.
Team strategy
Role as leader and wicket-keeper takes precedence
Fleming stressed that despite Dhoni's phenomenal quickfire cameos, his role as a leader and wicket-keeper for CSK is far more crucial than his batting contributions.
"He's too valuable to us - leadership and wicket-keeping - to throw him in nine, 10 overs," said Fleming. "He has actually never done that."
Notably, Dhoni has been batting at number eight since the 2024 IPL edition.
Position
Decision to bat lower down the order
In a shocking move, Dhoni batted at number nine against RCB, a decision that left many scratching their heads.
This was especially surprising as CSK lost regular wickets (80/6) while chasing 197. They eventually fell short by 50 runs.
The players who batted ahead of him were Sam Curran, Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, and Ravichandran Ashwin.
In a previous interview, Dhoni had explained his decision to bat lower down the order, saying he wanted to give youngsters fair chances.