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Former India spinner Harbhajan Singh raised doubts over MS Dhoni batting at the No. 9 spot despite being in form during the Chennai Super Kings clash against Punjab Kings at the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024.
The CSK icon for the first time in his illustrious T20 career, came at the number 9 spot to bat at the scenic Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium. As fans awaited the much-expected fireworks from the veteran's bat, a delightful off-cutter from Harshal Patel on the final ball of the penultimate over cut short the celebrations, as Dhoni walked back for a golden duck. Harbhajan questioned the strategy behind reserving Dhoni for the last moment rather than sending him up in the order that would have allowed the in-form batter to make a big impact. "I don't understand, he is in such good form and he is coming so low in the batting order to bat. He got dismissed on the first ball but I was hopeful that he would come in place of Mitchell Santner in the 14th over. He could have made a big impact. I don't understand why is he coming so low in the batting order. At no. 9 a bowler comes to bat not a player like Dhoni who has the calibre as well as the form to score runs. It was hard to understand what was the strategy behind that decision," Harbhajan said on his YouTube channel. A slower off-cutter on the stumps dipped enough to get past Dhoni's bat and peg the off-stump. While Dhoni fans were left stunned, the PBKS camp felt a wave of ecstasy. Preity Zinta broke into a big smile as PBKS fans rejoiced to watch the veteran depart for a golden duck. Despite falling short in the batting department, the 42-year-old became the first-ever player to complete 150 catches in the cash-league history. Dhoni took a catch to dismiss Jitesh Sharma for a duck in the match. CSK managed to defend 168 on the board by restricting PBKS to 139/9 and emerge victorious with a 28-run win. (ANI)
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