Former Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh lashed out at MS Dhoni for demoting his batting order as the wicketkeeper-batter came to bat at No 9 during the match between Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Punjab Kings (PBKS) in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024.
Dhoni has played at an astounding strike rate of 224.49 in the IPL 2024 so far but his batting time has reduced to an extent as the former CSK skipper started to bat at lower order, usually at No 7 or 8.
However, in Sunday’s match against PBKS, the 42-year-old came to bat at No 9, even below the likes of Shardul Thakur and was bowled out on the first ball.
Harbhajan stressed that Dhoni is the decision maker in the team yet he continued to send bowling all-rounders above him. He also added that if the 42-year-old cannot bat above No 9, then CSK should opt for a pacer over him.
“MS Dhoni shouldn't play if he wants to bat at the number 9 slot. It is better to include a fast bowler than him in the playing XI. He is the decision-maker and has let down his team by not coming out to bat," Harbhajan said on Star Sports.
"Shardul Thakur came ahead of him. Thakur can never hit shots like Dhoni and I don't understand why Dhoni made this mistake. Nothing happens without his permission and I am not ready to accept that this decision to demote him was taken by someone else."
Earlier, CSK suffered a major blow as Sri Lankan pacer Matheesha Pathirana faced a hamstring injury and returned home to recover.
Pathirana emerged as a consistent performer, securing 13 wickets with an economy rate of 7.68.
With Pathirana's departure from the IPL due to injury, England's Richard Gleeson, aged 36, became the sole overseas fast bowler in the CSK squad. Mustafizur Rahman's tenure with the franchise ended on May 1 as the left-arm seamer joined the Bangladesh side for their ongoing home T20I series against Zimbabwe.