The future of MS Dhoni in the IPL continues to remain a suspense but the debates around it has intensified. And it has now led to fiery debate, involving Dhoni's former India and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) teammate Suresh Raina and ex-India opener Aakash Chopra, the video of which has gone viral on social media.
The discussion concerning Dhoni's future broke out before CSK's final league stage fixture against table toppers Gujarat Titans, which the former won by 83 runs. Aakash, Sanjay Bangar, RP Singh, and Raina debated whether it was time for the legendary wicket-keeper batter to hang up his boots.
Chopra and Bangar argued "for" the idea, while RP and Raina stood "against". However, the discussion became contentious, with both sides putting out some strong points.
This season, Dhoni appeared hesitant to bat for CSK, occasionally appearing as low as No. 8, giving players like Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja preference over him. Chopra and Bangar questioned Dhoni's fitness to even bat for that long, while Raina and RP suggested the decision was made to let others thrive.
A portion of the argument is as follows:
Aaksh Chopra: "If MS Dhoni wasn't an uncapped Indian, would he have been a part of the CSK team this year?"
Suresh Raina: "Absolutely, he has been with the team for 18 years. Even now, he hits the most sixes."
Aakash Chopra: "The point is, why is he batting at No. 7, No. 8 or No. 9. Your team isn't batting well, the problems are coming from the top order. Shouldn't such a big player bat higher up? Why the reluctance? Is he even fit or not?"
Suresh Raina: "He feels he is more comfortable in the final four overs. He is fit, keeping wickets at the age of 44. He did an interview in the middle, saying a team for the World Cup (T20) is being made, hence he wants to give others like Shivam Dube more chances."
RP Singh: "After a knee surgery, he is bound to take time. Every player does. He has been keeping for 20 years, manages himself. Raina also had a knee operation done. He managed himself for some time and eventually recovered."
Later in the discussion, Bangar emphasized that players like Ruturaj Gaikwad and Jadeja aren't able to develop as leaders because of Dhoni's presence in the squad.
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