Former Indian batter Sanjay Manjrekar wants legendary cricketer MS Dhoni to repeat his 2023 season heroics in the ongoing edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). The 42-year-old masterminded CSK's joint-record fifth IPL crown in the 2023 season. Dhoni stepped down as CSK's skipper on the eve of the IPL 2024 opener as the defending champions promoted Ruturaj Gaikwad to lead the Yellow Brigade.

With Dhoni in speculation about finishing up his iconic T20 career at the IPL 2024, calls for the CSK icon to spearhead the top order have grown in the league phase. Dhoni turned the clock back by playing a blinder against Rishabh Pant's Delhi Capitals in his first batting appearance of the new season at Vizag. A packed crowd in Visakhapatnam enjoyed a batting exhibition from Dhoni as the CSK stalwart demolished Anrich Nortje in the final over of the Chennai innings. Dhoni remained unbeaten on 37 off just 16 balls to break the internet with his breathtaking knock.

In CSK's next match, the former Chennai skipper played only two balls. Dhoni-starrer CSK mustered only 165-5 in 20 overs to lose the away game to Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) by six wickets. With CSK set to meet former champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in their upcoming clash, former Indian cricketer Manjrekar shared his views about the much-debated batting position of Dhoni in the IPL 2024.

‘I want Dhoni to replicate what he did last season’

“Which means he will have to come ahead of somebody like a Daryl Mitchell, Ravindra Jadeja or Shivam Dube. Is that the right call? I Wonder. May be not. I want him to replicate what he did last season. Few balls and maximum impact. And even in that match, when he got 30-odd, he got it in 16-17 balls. MS Dhoni’s strengths lie in his wicketkeeping, being a guide to Ruturaj and his cameos. Sending him at No. 3 or No. 4 may not be such a great idea,” Manjrekar told Star Sports.

How Dhoni performed in IPL 2023?

Dhoni scored 104 runs with a highest of 32* in 16 matches of the IPL 2023. The wicketkeeper-batter batted at a strike rate of 182.45 in his final season as Chennai's skipper. In two innings, Dhoni has scored 38 runs for the defending champions at the IPL 2024. Chennai Super Kings will hope to end their losing run in the league stage against an unbeaten KKR side at the Chepauk.

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