New Delhi, Mar 18: In a blunt assessment, South African batting legend AB de Villiers stated on Tuesday that MS Dhoni must bat no lower than number six in the upcoming IPL, as coming in at eight or nine does not do justice to his presence.
Dhoni, 44, will turn out for his franchise Chennai Super Kings in the IPL starting March 28, and De Villiers urged the talisman to change his trend of batting way down the order in recent years.
Touching upon Dhoni’s role in the CSK setup this IPL season, De Villiers told JioHotstar, “It’s very tricky and not straightforward. Brands are built over years, and CSK have built this empire over many years with this MS Dhoni figure that’s always been there. When you mention CSK, you immediately think of Dhoni.
“I feel that in the last few years, his role has purely been about keeping that brand as strong as possible. That’s why I don’t see a role for him batting at eight or nine and not really doing enough, like last season.
“We know he can be impactful with the bat, but if he’s batting that low and not captaining, it feels like he’s almost just making up for a spot for the wrong reasons. There’s still a place for him, but he needs to bat higher, at least at six, maybe even at five or four at times.” De Villiers added, “It’s a tricky situation, but Sanju Samson is the right guy to take over, and credit to Dhoni because he’s hung around, waiting for the right person to come. If MS plays, I want him to put himself under more pressure and be the guy to handle those big moments.”
CSK decided to trade in Sanju Samson ahead of the IPL 2026 auction as part of their succession plans, and the multi-faceted South African star, along with Indian spin legend Anil Kumble, backed the in-from keeper-batter to seamlessly step into the leadership group.