MS Dhoni’s U-turn! CSK captain stresses on playing ’those big shots’ days after making ‘not to get desperate’ remark

Days after defending his own batters against taking too much of a risk, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) captain MS Dhoni on Monday emphasised the importance of playing ‘those big shots’ to get into the momentum after opting to bowl first against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL).

With Ruturaj Gaikwad ruled out of IPL 2025 due to an elbow injury, Dhoni was once again given the charge to lead the team for the remainder of the tournament. In his first match as captain in IPL 2025, CSK dished out a below-par batting performance with seven of their batters scoring in single digits.

At the post-match presentation, Dhoni was asked about CSK's approach in the powerplay. While the average powerplay score in IPL 2025 has been 57 so far, CSK had 45, which is a way less than the nine other teams. “Not match to someone's else play," MS Dhoni had said.

"Our openers are good openers, play authentic cricket shots, they don't slog or look to hit across the line. It is important not to get desperate seeing the scorecard. If we start looking for 60 with our lineup it will be very difficult for us," added the 43-year-old.

Three days later, MS Dhoni took a complete U-turn, stating the importance of playing big shots while also admitting CSK's inconsistency in batting in this season. "It's important to set the right temperament. We haven't been consistent with our batting.

“With the ball we have a strong back. It's important to have a positive mindset, play those big shots. It's a matter of time,” added the CSK skipper. Unlike the previous seasons, CSK's openers Rachin Ravindra and Devon Conway have failed to give them the flying starts this season.

If statistics are to be believed, Rachin Ravindra is CSK's top run-getter in IPL 2025 with 149 runs in IPL 2025.

LSG vs CSK Playing XIs

Meanwhile, CSK have dropped Conway to make way for debutant Shaik Rasheed against LSG. They have also brought in England all-rounder Jamie Overton, replacing Ravichandran Ashwin. On the other hand, LSG replaced Himmat Singh with Mitchell Marsh.

Lucknow Super Giants: Aiden Markram, Mitchell Marsh, Nicholas Pooran, Ayush Badoni, Rishabh Pant(w/c), David Miller, Abdul Samad, Shardul Thakur, Avesh Khan, Akash Deep, Digvesh Singh Rathi

Chennai Super Kings: Shaik Rasheed, Rachin Ravindra, Rahul Tripathi, Vijay Shankar, Ravindra Jadeja, Jamie Overton, MS Dhoni(w/c), Anshul Kamboj, Noor Ahmad, Khaleel Ahmed, Matheesha Pathirana

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