With just 112 runs from seven matches, IPL 2020 hasn’t been the best of seasons for MS Dhoni. The Chennai Super Kings captain, despite showing shades of his former self, has mostly struggled to get going, failing to finish matches for his team and getting bogged down by an average strike-rate.
With scores such as 29, 15, 11, 10 and 47* (his best, against Rajasthan Royals), Dhoni will not be the favourite to win a game for his team at this point, but if his numbers against Sunrisers Hyderabad are to be taken into consideration, tonight could be the night when the CSK skipper gets some runs.
Dhoni’s average this year reads 37.33, but it shoots up to 63.14 when playing against SRH. Dhoni’s average is his best against any team that is currently playing the IPL. From 16 matches, Dhoni has scored 442 runs against SRH with four half-centuries, including a best score of 67 not out and on Tuesday in Dubai, he could become the fifth to score 450-plus runs against the Sunrisers.
Dhoni’s battle with Rashid Khan also promises to make for an interesting duel. In the IPL, Dhoni hasn’t had the most success against leg-spinners, but from the 32 balls faced from Rashid, he has scored 23 runs. Against CSK, Rashid has picked up six wickets from seven matches with a best of 2/11.
Dhoni is also on the verge of a batting milestone. The CSK skipper is 30 runs away from completing 4000 runs for the franchise. Provided he gets there, Dhoni will join Suresh Raina as only the second player to get to the 4K-run mark.
Like Dhoni, SRH will also be wary of Ambati Rayudu, as his average of 45.50 is his best against all current franchises in the IPL. Rayudu is 49 runs away from completing 3500 IPL runs and CSK will be expecting two of the premier batsmen to get the job done if they are to stay alive in the tournament.
Source: IPLT20.com