<p>Bengaluru: Bewildered glances were exchanged among fans as R Ashwin walked out to bat against Royal Challengers Bengaluru last Friday with Chennai Super Kings needing an improbable 117 off 43 balls to maintain their 17-year win record against their southern neighbours. Perhaps for the first time CSK loyalists questioned MS Dhoni's move to bat at No. 9 with frustration apparent. </p>.<p>Given the steep target, it was probably a lost cause when Ashwin came ahead of Dhoni but the decision to hold himself back was devoid of cricketing logic. In a league where playoff spots are often decided by the thinnest of margins, CSK (or rather Dhoni) should have known better. Especially after their heartbreak against the same opponents at the M Chinnaswamy stadium last year when RCB sneaked into playoffs by virtue of a slightly superior net run-rate after both teams were locked at 14 points at the end of the league stage. </p>.<p>As it transpired, Dhoni smacked 16-ball 30 and CSK lost by 50 runs. The margin of defeat could have been potentially a lot lesser and it might again come back to haunt them. But the larger point is will Dhoni come up early in the upcoming games? More pertinently, does even he want to? </p>.<p>He did come at No. 7 in the unsuccessful chase against Rajasthan Royals with CSK requiring 54 off 25 balls, but that could well be just an aberration as their long-time coach Stephen Fleming clarified after their second loss in as many matches.</p>.<p>"It's a time thing... MS judges it. His body, his knees aren't what they used to be," said Fleming replying to a pointed question on Dhoni's batting position. "He's moving okay but there's still an attrition aspect to it. He can't bat 10 overs running full stick. So he will gauge on the day what he can give us." </p>.<p>"If the game's in the balance like today (against RR), he will go a little bit earlier and he backs other players when other opportunities are up. So he's balancing that. I said it last year, he's too valuable to us, (with his) leadership and wicket-keeping, to throw him in at 9-10 overs.</p>.<p>"He's actually never done that. So look, from around 13, 14 overs he's looking to go, depending on who's in."</p>.<p>That's the big dilemma the CSK management faces. They know the value of Dhoni the wicketkeeper and leader is priceless, but can they afford to "sacrifice" a batter? The Impact Player rule provides some cushion but when most of the batting line-up is misfiring, even an extra batter doesn't help if his role is detrimentally limited to the team's cause.</p>.<p>At 43, Dhoni still possesses the fastest hands behind the wickets and one of the sharpest cricketing brains. But his ball-striking powers have declined noticeably. Also, it's difficult to sustain motivation for just two months of high-intensity cricket year after year, especially when your body keeps resisting. Left to himself, Dhoni would have hung up his gloves but his franchise won't let him. He revealed in a recent interview that CSK would happily have him play even "in a wheelchair!"</p>.<p>CSK and Dhoni share a bond unlike any other in the IPL. It's hard to imagine one without the other. The franchise knows his mere presence is a major factor in keeping their fan base intact. Would the same unwavering support remain if “Thala” was no longer part of the setup? Perhaps that fear of losing the biggest IPL brand explains why CSK continues to hold on despite his waning powers.</p>.<p>As a franchise, CSK have been the most forward thinking of all, and it was evident from the first season when they went all out to get Dhoni in the first ever player auction. Their auction strategy has always been calculated -- devoid of drama and unnecessary glamour -- and their record speaks for itself. But they might just be stretching their reliance on Dhoni a bit too far.</p>.<p>While the majority of fans are still happy to see Dhoni just walk out and smash a couple of boundaries, it does no good for the team. The league has still a long way to go and with each such outing, where Dhoni's presence in their batting line-up continues to be a liability, what are CSK going to do? As Dhoni himself would have put it, it's a difficult one to answer. </p>
<p>Bengaluru: Bewildered glances were exchanged among fans as R Ashwin walked out to bat against Royal Challengers Bengaluru last Friday with Chennai Super Kings needing an improbable 117 off 43 balls to maintain their 17-year win record against their southern neighbours. Perhaps for the first time CSK loyalists questioned MS Dhoni's move to bat at No. 9 with frustration apparent. </p>.<p>Given the steep target, it was probably a lost cause when Ashwin came ahead of Dhoni but the decision to hold himself back was devoid of cricketing logic. In a league where playoff spots are often decided by the thinnest of margins, CSK (or rather Dhoni) should have known better. Especially after their heartbreak against the same opponents at the M Chinnaswamy stadium last year when RCB sneaked into playoffs by virtue of a slightly superior net run-rate after both teams were locked at 14 points at the end of the league stage. </p>.<p>As it transpired, Dhoni smacked 16-ball 30 and CSK lost by 50 runs. The margin of defeat could have been potentially a lot lesser and it might again come back to haunt them. But the larger point is will Dhoni come up early in the upcoming games? More pertinently, does even he want to? </p>.<p>He did come at No. 7 in the unsuccessful chase against Rajasthan Royals with CSK requiring 54 off 25 balls, but that could well be just an aberration as their long-time coach Stephen Fleming clarified after their second loss in as many matches.</p>.<p>"It's a time thing... MS judges it. His body, his knees aren't what they used to be," said Fleming replying to a pointed question on Dhoni's batting position. "He's moving okay but there's still an attrition aspect to it. He can't bat 10 overs running full stick. So he will gauge on the day what he can give us." </p>.<p>"If the game's in the balance like today (against RR), he will go a little bit earlier and he backs other players when other opportunities are up. So he's balancing that. I said it last year, he's too valuable to us, (with his) leadership and wicket-keeping, to throw him in at 9-10 overs.</p>.<p>"He's actually never done that. So look, from around 13, 14 overs he's looking to go, depending on who's in."</p>.<p>That's the big dilemma the CSK management faces. They know the value of Dhoni the wicketkeeper and leader is priceless, but can they afford to "sacrifice" a batter? The Impact Player rule provides some cushion but when most of the batting line-up is misfiring, even an extra batter doesn't help if his role is detrimentally limited to the team's cause.</p>.<p>At 43, Dhoni still possesses the fastest hands behind the wickets and one of the sharpest cricketing brains. But his ball-striking powers have declined noticeably. Also, it's difficult to sustain motivation for just two months of high-intensity cricket year after year, especially when your body keeps resisting. Left to himself, Dhoni would have hung up his gloves but his franchise won't let him. He revealed in a recent interview that CSK would happily have him play even "in a wheelchair!"</p>.<p>CSK and Dhoni share a bond unlike any other in the IPL. It's hard to imagine one without the other. The franchise knows his mere presence is a major factor in keeping their fan base intact. Would the same unwavering support remain if “Thala” was no longer part of the setup? Perhaps that fear of losing the biggest IPL brand explains why CSK continues to hold on despite his waning powers.</p>.<p>As a franchise, CSK have been the most forward thinking of all, and it was evident from the first season when they went all out to get Dhoni in the first ever player auction. Their auction strategy has always been calculated -- devoid of drama and unnecessary glamour -- and their record speaks for itself. But they might just be stretching their reliance on Dhoni a bit too far.</p>.<p>While the majority of fans are still happy to see Dhoni just walk out and smash a couple of boundaries, it does no good for the team. The league has still a long way to go and with each such outing, where Dhoni's presence in their batting line-up continues to be a liability, what are CSK going to do? As Dhoni himself would have put it, it's a difficult one to answer. </p>