Srinagar: India’s ace all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja has revealed that the status of MS Dhoni amoung CSK fans is so high that they want him to get early so that CSK skipper can come out to bat.
Jadeja, who was declared Player of the Match for his all-round show against DC on Wednesday, said he already hears ‘Dhoni’ chants when he is batting in the middle and if he wishes to bat any higher than No.6 then fans might wish for his quick dismissal to see Dhoni walk out.
“I keep hearing Mahi bhai’s chants. If I bat higher, then the crowd will wait for me to get out. As long as the team wins, I am happy,” he said when asked in the post-match presentation whether he would want to bat higher.
Jadeja scored 21 off 16 and picked up 1/19 in the match that CSK won by 27 runs to almost put one step in the playoffs. Jadeja, who batted at No.7, was well-supported by captain Dhoni, who came in to bat at No.8. Dhoni blasted two sixes and a four in the 19th over, scoring 20 off just 9 balls to help CSK post 167/8.
Dhoni has been scoring at a strike rate of 204 in this IPL and although he hasn’t batted for long in any of the matches, he has left an impact almost every time he has walked out to bat.
“This is what my job is, I have told them this is what I am supposed to do, don’t make me run a lot and it has been working. This is what I need to do, happy to contribute,” Dhoni said about his batting position.