“Update on MS Dhoni is way above my pay grade.”
This one line by a member of the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) coaching squad shows where the franchise is at present.
The team is placed sixth in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and still has an outside chance to make it to the play-offs. But bowling coach Eric Simons had a rather unique take on the now expected regular query about the availability of the face of the franchise for Tuesday’s game against Delhi Capitals at the Arun Jaitley Stadium.
For the record, Dhoni has not travelled with the rest of the squad for the fixture that’s crucial for CSK’s playoff hopes.
“He’s not with us but he’s improving. He will be ready when he’s ready. He knows when he’s ready to play,” Simons said at the press conference on Monday.
But the manner in which the South African, a senior figure in the coaching team, washed his hands off the one question which has dominated team composition through the whole season told its own story, despite Dhoni not taking the field in any game as his return keeps getting pushed back.
It tells something about the narrative following the franchise that the prospects of the team are forever linked to a 44-year-old, who doesn’t play any cricket outside the IPL. Dhoni’s absence was initially expected to be two-weeks long, but as the matches went on, it was prolonged, first due to the delay in his recovery and then about the problem in accommodating him in the team. It even prompted batting coach Mike Hussey to observe that Dhoni’s presence would be a distraction for the team.
“He’s such a team-orientated guy, MS Dhoni. He always wants what’s best for the team and he was worried that if he came, there’d be a bit too much of a distraction,” the Australian had said before the previous match against Mumbai Indians, explaining ‘Thala’s absence from the games.
“Obviously, the cameras would be on him a lot. The crowd would be cheering for him and things like that. And he really wanted the team to just be able to go about their job, do our thing.”
Captain in name
Ruturaj Gaikwad is the designated captain of the team, but even he has acknowledged that Dhoni is the ‘big man.’ That he himself was short of runs for the first few games of the campaign didn’t help his cause. His last two outings resulted in unbeaten half-centuries, the last one guiding his team to victory. But the undue focus on a player who may not even take the field this season can only undermine his position.
Simons felt compelled to mention that Gaikwad was “a quality cricketer” and “very much the leader of the team.”
“He’s been very clear about his leadership role in the team. I don’t think one must link his runs to his captaincy. It’s just the case of when he gets into runs. He’s had some tough innings, in the sense that we have been in trouble, wickets have tumbled and he’s battled through. That’s the hallmark of a really quality batsman – that doesn’t just score runs on good wickets.”
Giving Gaikwad his vote of confidence, Simons described him as a “surgeon in this whole of chaos batting. He’s the kind of guy who gets 50 runs in 22 balls and you haven’t noticed him. The leadership has always been there, he’s always been the captain. It’s good that he’s now scoring runs.”
CSK haven’t had continuity in their team selection. Players have been benched despite match-winning performances in games. Akeal Hosein bowled them to victory with a spell of 4/17 against MI, but was left out of the reverse fixture just a few days later. Similarly, Sarfaraz Khan has not always found his name in the team sheet despite playing some short but impactful knocks, and was seen practising some of his innovative shots during Monday’s practice session.
Simons put the constant chopping and changing to the Impact Player rule.
“The additional player can be used in different ways. It’s about getting the balance right at the time, and it’s about horses for courses in different situations to cover all bases. A lot of conversation goes behind these decisions. It’s added a complexity to team management that’s unique to this tournament,” he said.
