IPL 2019: Dhoni will mostly bat at No 4, says Stephen Fleming

Fleming announced that the CSK captain will be batting a notch higher at No 4. Dhoni would be used as a floater if required but Kedar Jadhav's presence makes it easier to fix the slots

Defending champions Chennai Super Kings are all set to enter the 12^th season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) under the leadership of Mahendra Singh Dhoni. With a few days left for the much-awaited tournament, coach Stephen Fleming has given a piece of delighting news to the all the ‘Thala’ fans.

On Wednesday, Fleming announced that the CSK captain will be batting a notch higher at No 4. Dhoni would be used as a floater if required but Kedar Jadhav's presence makes it easier to fix the slots.

“Dhoni batted pretty much (at) No. 4 last year but we do use him in a little bit of a flexible role, so that won't change. His form has been outstanding in the past 10 months. We have a new player as well (Kedar Jadhav) which is great. So, we're really happy with the (batting) order and the thoughts around that,” Fleming said at the media conference.

CSK is a team that's core is formed with players in their mid or late 30's but Fleming points out at the mindset, which made all the difference. He alluded the team's memorable triumph on the comeback last year to mindset, (team) environment and culture apart from winning the big moments to a question on CSK's balance compared to other teams.

“We tend not to do it (compare). Because if you start looking at other teams, you're trapped away from what's good or bad of your own. There are enough great players with each side, so it comes down to mindset, team environment and culture and winning big moments,” Fleming said.

He spoke about how the team won the crucial moments which proved to be decisive in the end.

“Last year, we just won big moments. We're just big on team culture and empowering the players to make decisions and win big moments. And last year was a snapshot of that.

“Even though the 'young' man (34-year-old Kedar Jadhav) was only with us for one game, he played a huge part in winning that game with Bravo. And Faf du Plessis and Watson at the end. And the usual suspects like Dhoni and Raina,” he added.