Sangakkara Wants CSK Skipper Dhoni To Play Competitive Cricket, Avoid Taking Long Gaps Before Next IPL Season

Sangakkara also came out in support of Dhoni, fending off criticism by many over his lackluster form in IPL 13 by stating that one bad season did not make a proven performer like Dhoni a lesser player or less important for CSK in the future.

MS Dhoni

Former Sri Lankan team skipper Kumar Sangakkara is of the strong view that Chennai Super Kings (CSK) captain MS Dhoni needs to play a lot of competitive cricket in the build-up to the next Indian Premier League (IPL) season, hoping that the iconic cricketer will don the captaincy hat for the 3-time IPL champions in IPL 2021. Sangakkara also came out in support of Dhoni, fending off criticism by many over his lackluster form in IPL 13 by stating that one bad season did not make a proven performer like Dhoni a lesser player or less important for CSK in the future. ".... you will always have a season or series where you're off the boil, and this is MS's. It has reflected on the team's fortunes as well. And it's something you get to expect. You can over analyse it, you analyse it any which way, it just happens. And it's happened at the back end of MSD's career", Sangakkara said on Star Sports ahead of CSK's clash against KKR on Thursday. "I am sure he is hungry to keep playing, hungry to perform. Knowing MSD, he would much rather take a team win than a half-century for himself. That's the way he has been built, that's the way he has always thought. If he can contribute to it in any way, even by scoring 10 runs he'd be happy. "He will, of course, be disappointed with his personal form but with only 2 games to go, I don't think there is any point in trying to salvage that. It's about winning games. He can address it after he goes and comes back next year. Dhoni has been way below his usual high standards one is used to seeing him over the past decade in the IPL. Heading into the IPL 13 at UAE on the back of a long break from competitive cricket, Dhoni has looked rusty by all means all through the season as he struggled to find his timing with the bat. Dhoni himself made an honest admission that he has struggled to find form due to lack of cricket and practice in the last 12 months. Coming into bat at 5 or 6 for CSK, Dhoni has been able to notch up only 199 runs in 12 innings at an average of 28.42 in the league fixture so far. Season 13 happens to be one of the worst ever with the bat for CSK's finisher par excellence. CSK fans would surely be disappointed to not see their beloved 'Thala' winning games for the 'Men In Yellow' with those typical whirlwind cameos by the legend down the order.