Former Indian fast bowler Varun Aaron has weighed in on the significance of MS Dhoni's presence in the middle of the field. He believes that having Dhoni there is invaluable. Speaking on JioHotstar, he analysed the game and credited the top-order's performance for creating a manageable score for Dhoni. However, he criticised the Lucknow Super Giants' bowling approach in the death overs, especially their lack of variation and decision not to bowl Ravi Bishnoi in the final overs.
«Having MS Dhoni in the middle is priceless, especially towards the end. I think tonight was one of those nights when the top order, especially the first two, gave him a reasonable target to chase. In previous matches, lower-order batsmen have faced outrageous targets, needing 14-15 runs per over, which doesn't happen every day. However, tonight's target was more achievable. And when you give MS Dhoni a target like that, he will succeed more often than not. The Lucknow Super Giants' bowlers bowled in a one-dimensional way towards the death overs, only going for wide lines and not trying a bouncer or a good slow ball outside the off stump. They could have done better. Not allowing Ravi Bishnoi to bat in that over will hurt them»
After Dhoni's masterful performance brought an end to Chennai's recent losing streak, the Super Kings once again asserted their dominance with a valuable five-wicket victory against LSG during the ongoing IPL match on Monday.
Both Dhoni and Shivam Dube showcased their exceptional skills, with Dhoni remaining unbeaten for 26 runs from 11 balls, including four boundaries and one six, while Dube scored 43 runs from 37 balls, as CSK triumphed in the final over with only three balls remaining.
During the match, Dhoni made two crucial catches and executed a brilliant run-out, earning him the Player of the Match (POTM) award. He also holds the record for the sixth-most runs in the history of the tournament, with 5,373 at an average of 39.22, including 24 half-centuries and a highest score of 84 runs.
Throughout the seven matches in IPL 2025 so far, Dhoni has accumulated 130 runs, averaging 43.33 with a strike rate of 158.33, and he has also hit the most sixes (eight) for CSK this season.
