MS Dhoni is a very instinctive captain, reads the game better than anyone else: Simon Doull

On account of their six-wicket victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), Chennai Super Kings (CSK) became the first team to make it through the playoffs for the 14^th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). It is certainly a mighty statement of sorts by the franchise in yellow, who didn’t make it to the playoffs during the last year’s IPL. MS Dhoni-led CSK have so far been spot on in their bowling and batting departments of the game.

At the forefront of CSK’s revival has been Dhoni, who has marshaled his bowling resources well and has read the game precisely. During the team’s latest win, the CSK skipper read the Sharjah pitch well and told his bowlers to exploit the conditions as few oddballs were keeping a bit low. The bowlers led by Josh Hazlewood (3/24) and Dwayne Bravo (2/17) restricted the SRH to just 134. Yet again, Dhoni’s tactical acumen stood out.

Impressed by Dhoni’s reading of the pitch and his subsequent inputs to the bowlers, cricketer-turned-expert Simon Doull said that it was typical MS Dhoni’s understanding of the game, and as usual an accurate one. “That’s typical, typical MS and it’s very good. He is a very instinctive captain, he doesn’t really control, and not everything he does works. But there is a theory or a reason for everything he does, and I think he reads the game better than anyone I have seen in a little while,” Doull told Cricbuzz.

MS Dhoni not afraid to give responsibility: Simon Doull

The former New Zealand fast bowler further opined that MS Dhoni is not afraid to give responsibilities to his players. The team members also have immense trust in his leadership and give their best of what is being asked by Dhoni.

“Dhoni is not afraid to give responsibilities to someone. I think that’s a big thing. When there is a responsibility given, he has got expectations. So the players would know he is asking me to do this, and he expects me to do it. And I think very rarely you see him getting frustrated, over top, over-emotional. But he would be disappointed if things are not done if he has asked to do.

“He has an enormous amount of respect from all the guys in the team and that makes him a very good captain as well,” Doull added.