Cricketer-turned-expert Sunil Gavaskar has opened up about how MS Dhoni might have extended his Indian Premier League (IPL) career by currently playing the ongoing season for Chennai Super Kings (CSK). The CSK stand-in captain is in his 18th year in the T20 tournament and has experienced all the highs with the franchise by leading them to a record five IPL titles. The wicketkeeper-batter had a perfect opportunity to bow out on a high after he helped CSK clinch their fifth IPL title in 2023.
However, Dhoni did not retire and instead continued to play for CSK for two more years. Speaking about the ongoing season, CSK became the first team to be eliminated after they lost to PBKS. This also marked the first instance of the Yellow Team not making it to the playoffs for two consecutive years. Speaking about Dhoni, Gavaskar said that the CSK icon prioritizes the franchise more than personal gain.
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"Any player makes decisions not so much for himself, but for what is likely to be good for the team. Whatever decision MS Dhoni made about playing this season would have been based solely on what’s best for CSK,” Gavaskar said in an exclusive chat with Sports Today.
“Any future decision he takes will also depend entirely on what’s good for CSK—not necessarily what’s good for himself.”
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Sunil Gavaskar advises CSK to go for bowlers than batters ahead of next IPL auction
The former India cricketer further stated that CSK should look more to invest in bowlers rather than heavily investing in batters ahead of the next IPL auction.
"First and foremost, they need to get their auction strategy right. I'm not too sure their scouting team is as effective as those of other franchises. That said, scouts shouldn’t rely solely on leagues like the Jharkhand League, UP League, or others like them. Success in those leagues, often played on smaller grounds against relatively ordinary bowling attacks, doesn’t necessarily translate to higher levels,” Gavaskar said.
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“Many players who dominate these leagues with big hitting often fail when they face international-quality bowling. So, if you’re scouting talent, focus more on the bowlers. Strengthening the bowling attack is critical—if your bowlers can restrict the opposition and consistently take wickets, you have a real edge,” Gavaskar added.
CSK next takes on RCB on Saturday, May 03, at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
