How can MS Dhoni being back as the captain of Chennai Super Kings will impact their performance?

How can MS Dhoni change CSK’s fortunes in IPL 2025?

MS Dhoni is known to get players to perform at their full potential. CSK’s dismal start to the season can be traced back to some ordinary performances from their new signings. If Dhoni can still weave his magic at the age of 43 years, then the five-time champions can still turn their season around. 

What has gone wrong for CSK so far?

After winning their first game against arch-rivals, Mumbai Indians, CSK’s season has gone downhill. They lost to Royal Challengers Bengaluru for the first time at the Chidambaram Stadium since 2008. Rajasthan Royals then defeated them to earn their first win of the season. Delhi Capitals then breached the fortress at Chennai for the first time since 2010. Punjab Kings was the latest team to hand the five-time champions another loss in the season. 

Ravichandran Ashwin’s fairytale return to home not so great

A lot was expected from Ravichandran Ashwin when he was bought by the Men in Yellow. The veteran off-spinner has taken only five wickets in five games and has been pretty expensive too. He seems to be trying out multiple variations and is unable to control his lines and lengths for a sustained period. It might be a result of retiring from the longest format of the game. 

Batting woes for CSK

Along with Ashwin, Vijay Shankar, Rahul Tripathi, and Deepak Hooda too have had some tough times in the park. Shankar has scored 80 runs so far in the tournament. He has often come to bat in situations when the asking rate is close to 10 runs per over. However, the right-handed batter has scored at a strike rate of only 130. 

Tripathi has played only three games in the season before he was benched. He could only score 30 runs in those games with the best score of 23. With Ruturaj Gaikwad being out of the tournament, Tripathi could very well feature in CSK’s playing 11 for the rest of the season. 

Matheesha Pathirana fails to make an impact

Matheesha Pathirana in the past few seasons has been the enforcer with the ball in hand in the death overs for the Men in Yellow. However, the Sri Lankan pacer has been unable to make the same impact in the four games so far. He has only taken five wickets so far and has conceded 9.18 runs per over. 

How can MS Dhoni turn things around?

MS Dhoni has the uncanny ability to get players to perform at their highest potential. The wicketkeeper batter plans with his bowlers in a way where they can often be one step ahead of the batters. For instance, with Matheesha Pathirana, Dhoni can often lead the young pacer by telling him where to bowl in the death overs. 

What helps Dhoni in knowing what the batter would be expecting is his own experience. There is not a single player in the history of the IPL who has a better resume of batting in the final overs of an innings. 

With spinners like Ravichandran Ashwin, Dhoni could get into the batter’s head by being up close at the stumps. After a poor delivery goes for a boundary, the 43-year-old knows what a batter might be expecting. He is also known to make subtle changes in the field that might encourage a batter to go for a shot which results in his downfall.

Dhoni’s unimaginable record as CSK skipper

There are only two captains who have won the IPL title twice. MS Dhoni led CSK to glory in 2010, 2011, 2018, 2021, and 2023, while Rohit Sharma’s Mumbai Indians too have won the trophy five times. However, there is no doubt over the fact the wicketkeeper batter is the best captain in the history of the tournament. 

He has captained Chennai Super Kings in 235 matches winning 142 of them. Dhoni has a win percentage of 60.42 which could come in handy as the five-time champions attempt to make it into their 13th playoffs. 

Will it be a straightforward task for the 43-year-old? Definitely not. But can we expect him to still do the unthinkable and lead CSK to a top-four finish or possibly a title to cap off what could be his last season in the tournament? Definitely.

As Dhoni gears up to lead the side once again, it could be a roller coaster ride for the Super Kings and its fans.