IPL 2021: 'MS Dhoni is not able to read the googly' - Irfan Pathan highlights issues in CSK skipper's batting

MS Dhoni is not having a good season with the bat in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021. Last season in 2020, he failed with the bat and once again this year, his performances didn’t improve. In 14 matches this season, he has managed to only score 96 runs at an average of 13.71 and a strike rate of 95.04. 

While speaking about Dhoni’s form, a former teammate of his, Irfan Pathan expressed his disappointment. He explained the issues which have been visible in Dhoni’s dismissals in the last few games. In Chennai Super Kings’ last league game of the season, the vetran was dismissed by Ravi Bishnoi, who got him bowled with a googly. 

The former Indian skipper went for a drive and ended up chopping the ball back on the stumps. Pathan noted that MS Dhoni had also got out to Varun Chakravarthy’s googly in an earlier game. Interestingly, Chakravarthy has got Dhoni out thrice now for low scores across the last two seasons of the IPL. 

It is very disappointing to see him bat like that: Irfan Pathan on MS Dhoni

“It is very disappointing to see him bat like that. It is understandable if you get out against the fast bowlers but Dhoni is not able to read the googly. It has happened repeatedly. It is not that it has happened for the first time. He got out to the googly against Varun Chakravarthy as well,” Pathan said on Star Sports. 

Furthermore, the former all-rounder explained that there are issues with which Dhoni is going through. He revealed that Dhoni’s usage of the bottom hand led to his wicket. “Before this also, when the ball is coming on the stumps and he is not getting the chance to free his arms, there are problems. Here again, the ball was coming in from outside the off stump, he got an inside edge, this happens when you use the bottom hand a lot,” Pathan added. 

Despite, Dhoni’s horrid run with the bat, CSK has managed to sneak into the top four quite easily. They have won nine matches so far in their 14 outings. However, ahead of the playoffs, they would be worried as the loss against Punjab Kings was their third in successive games.