R Ashwin has said that MS Dhoni's finishing skills have been as important as his leadership to Chennai Super Kings' in the Indian Premier League (IPL) over the years.
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India off-spinner R Ashwin has said that MS Dhoni‘s finishing skills have been as important as his leadership to Chennai Super Kings‘ in the Indian Premier League (IPL) over the years. Dhoni has led the team to the IPL title four times. Meanwhile, Ashwin has said that people always say about Dhoni’s captaincy but his ability to finish games in pressure situations has taken a back seat as well.
However, R Ashwin said that while discussing the options for finishers at the upcoming IPL 2022 mega-auction, which is slated to take place on February 12 and 13. He added that there are very few who have been consistently playing the role done with the bat lower down the order as well.
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MS Dhoni has been one of the most successful captains in the cash-rich league, leading Chennai Super Kings to four titles. Over the years, Dhoni has led the team in yellow quite well, making them the most consistent side in the history of the league as well. He has scored 4746 runs in 193 matches which came at a strike rate of over 130 as well. And, most of them came under pressure which has made a big difference to the team on several occasions in the past.
“Today, people are raving about CSK and their success. A lot is being said about Dhoni’s captaincy. However, apart from his captaincy, there is a skill that has taken a back seat over the years, that is not being spoken much about. We always talk about his captaincy, his Midas touch, but his finishing ability with the bat is not spoken about much,” R Ashwin said in a show on his YouTube channel.
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“In a situation where 60 is needed off 20 balls, he goes to the middle and smashes a couple of sixes and a couple of boundaries. He brings down the equation to l5 from the last over. We have seen this quite a few times in this past. CSK loses that game, the campaign would stutter. I have seen such scenarios,” he stated.
“In such games, we have seen Dhoni finishing in the last over, that is an inspiration. That lifts the team morale up. Suddenly from the lower half of the table, CSK would have 10 points from 10 games. That will help transform their campaign. That’s why these finishers are important, that’s why Mumbai Indians never let go off Kieron Pollard. He has closed so many games for MI. Andre Russell is also another such player,” R Ashwin concluded.
