Dhoni hits 'nets' but suspense remains

Perhaps it’s impossible to find a ground in the country where Mahendra Singh Dhoni isn’t a crowd favourite. But on Sunday here at the Chinnaswamy stadium, the desperate Royal Challengers Bangalore’s fans would prefer the talismanic cricketer to watch the action from the dug-out and not hit the field.

Ridiculed on every social media platform for their below-par show, RCB are trying to join the pieces of their tattered campaign. While there is no confirmation on the Chennai Super Kings skipper’s availability, the developments at the training session on the eve of the tie here on Saturday weren’t completely encouraging for the Challengers.

CSK’s quiet practice session came alive when the 36-year-old was welcomed with loud shouts from the sparse crowd. After a light jogging session, Dhoni briefly played football and took catches before hitting the ‘nets’. The veteran batted for more than 30 minutes but only faced spinners.

With the World Cup around the corner, Dhoni wouldn’t risk a bigger concern by forcing his way back to action. Sam Billings, who replaced Dhoni behind the stumps against Sunrisers Hyderabad, was seen taking the wicketkeeping drills, further increasing the ambiguity of the situation.

For CSK, the defending champions, the positive impact of Dhoni’s presence is unquestionable. Exhibiting fine consistency under the former India skipper, the Super Kings marched to the top of the table with 14 points. But in the absence of Dhoni, they were completely outplayed by Hyderabad in their previous game on Wednesday.

“Yes, it is (difficult to win without Dhoni). Whenever a great player isn’t in your side, it means there is a hole to fill, and he has been in great form. So it does have an impact on your side, as well as the captaincy. You get used to a certain style of play. When you lose arguably your best player and your captain, you have to make adjustments but it doesn’t mean that we are not competitive,” said CSK coach Stephen Fleming at the pre-match press conference.

A Dhoni special can outclass any side like it did when these two teams met here last time. Chasing 206, CSK scripted a brilliant win with two balls to spare. Dhoni, with his 34-ball 70, was the hero of the night.