MS Dhoni has always been known for his unusual decisions on the field as a skipper. Ever since he took up the role of captain, he has proved that why he is one of the greatest to have played the game.
After CSK lost the first game, MS Dhoni’s captaincy is under scrutiny. In the IPL 2023 opener, Dhoni called Tushar Deshpande as the impact player and gave him the ball for the final over but then it did not work out well for CSK. Tushar conceded 51 runs in four overs and as a result, CSK could not win the game. Former India opener Virender Sehwag commented on the same. The Mumbai-based bowler also became the first impact player in the history of the IPL.
"Had Dhoni used an over from Moeen Ali somewhere in the middle, he may not have needed to go to Tushar Deshpande, who was highly expensive. You don't expect MS Dhoni making such mistakes often, but that's where you could use the risk-and-reward approach of using an off-spinner when right-handers are batting," Sehwag said during an interaction on Cricbuzz.
CSK started their first IPL 2023 match on a disappointing note as they were defeated by Hardik Pandya's Gujarat Titans by five wickets. Former India cricketer Manoj Tiwary also stated that he was shocked to see Dhoni’s decision to give the ball to Deshpande for the last over.
"I was surprised when they gave the impact substitute Tushar Deshpande the new ball. In domestic cricket, he often bowls in the latter phases of the game. I thought maybe they could have given Rajvardhan Hangargekar the new ball," he said.