IPL 2019: MS Dhoni can’t do it alone, says Hemang Badani; says time to bring in M Vijay for Watson

Chennai Super Kings were handed a narrow 1-run defeat at the hands of Royal Challengers Bangalore the other day in M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore. Despite the best efforts of MS Dhoni who scored his T20 best 84* and even scored 24 runs out of 26 required in the last over bowled by Umesh Yadav.

However, in the end, a direct hit from Parthiv Patel found Shardul Thakur short of his crease and RCB got the two points in the end. The match also highlighted a major flaw in the CSK batting lineup, that was also pointed out by former India batsman Hemang Badani. He pointed out that the CSK lineup is putting too much pressure on Dhoni to make runs in the middle order and the top order has not fired the way it should have.

Badani feels, time to replace Watson at the top

Hemang Badani, former India and Tamil Nadu batsman feel that Chennai Super Kings need to rethink their opening strategy. Shane Watson has not been in the best of forms, scoring 147 runs in 10 matches so far at a strike rate 112.71 and average of just 14.44. Badani felt that though Dhoni doesn’t like to tinker with his team too much, it has become necessary for him to look elsewhere.

“Shane Watson at the top hasn’t been scoring runs for them and it’s about time they think about someone like M Vijay. Give him a chance, as Watson has played 10 innings now and it’s about time, you look at someone else. Dhoni loves players who have done well, in his side, but all said and done, it might be time to move on,” Badani was quoted as saying by CricketNext.

Only one man is scoring runs for CSK, MS Dhoni

Badani felt that there were definitely batting woes for Chennai Super Kings. He felt that the top order of the team was not pulling their weight in the tournament and almost the onus of scoring runs have fallen on one man, MS Dhoni. Dhoni has scored 314 runs in 9 matches so far with a strike rate of 137.11 and an average of 104.66 and has 3 fifties to his name with the best of 84* coming in the last match against RCB.

“Batting woes for CSK. Definitely batting woes for CSK, there is only one man who is scoring and producing runs for them is MS Dhoni. In the middle order, CSK might not want to change many things, but its more about players taking responsibility and standing up and saying, I will get some runs and I will do it for the team. you cannot win championships with just one-man performing,” Badani was quoted as saying in a video for CricketNext.

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