Sunil Gavaskar feels it is highly unlikely that Mahendra Singh Dhoni will feature against SunRisers Hyderabad on Monday—Chennai Super Kings' final home match of the season.
MS Dhoni is yet to play a single game this season due to an injury, and with retirement rumours doing the rounds, today's game is the last chance for the Yellow Army to see "Thala" in action on their home turf. According to Gavaskar, Dhoni knows well that disrupting the team's stability at a critical juncture is not going to be ideal. CSK are in a must-win scenario to ensure progress into the playoffs, and even if he is match-fit, the former captain will not become a potential disruptor, Gavaskar said.
CSK’s qualification scenario
CSK can still fancy their chances even as they have slipped to the sixth spot following their loss to Lucknow Super Giants in their last outing, and they currently have 12 points from as many matches. stand with a chance to finish with 16 points, but for that they will have to win their remaining two matches.
Even on Net Run Rate, CSK are behind in the race with a tally of 0.027 compared to RR (0.082) - who have three matches left - and PBKS (13 points, NRR 0.355) are also in the fray.
Will MSD play today?
"Because this is a crucial game for CSK to progress. A win is a must. He hasn’t even played a single game, and he wouldn’t want to play this match. Because if he can’t perform, CSK might struggle. He is a team man and a team player. I don’t think he will play," the Indian legend reportedly told Star Sports.
The Indian legend said MSD's prolonged absence hints that he is yet to fully recover from the injury concern. "Even I am disappointed. No Indian would want to see him not play. I just feel that perhaps the injury that he sustained, he has yet to recover entirely,” Gavaskar added.
Dhoni, 44, suffered an injury which ruled him out at the beginning of the season. Ever since, the CSK fanbase has been waiting for their superstar's return. Earlier, batting coach Mike Hussey had clarified that the Chennai Super Kings have no plan to use MS Dhoni as an Impact Sub, and the veteran will keep wickets for the side once he is ready to start.
Hussey's explanation for Dhoni's prolonged absence was that having suffered a calf injury, Dhoni needs time to be back at his best. Coming down the order ahead of tail-enders means he cannot compromise on running between the wickets. Thus, the team needs to be sure before he is sent out to bat, Hussey said.
Many fans are worried that MS Dhoni will not return for another IPL season as age has caught up with him. However, the World Cup-winning Indian captain has not dropped any hints about his future as a CSK player.
