Even if we don’t qualify, need to get secure 11 for next year: Dhoni

“We need to see whether we are playing the right form of cricket,” the struggling Chennai Super Kings’ skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni said, urging his teammates to do a bit of soul-searching with an eye on the bigger picture of creating a “secure eleven” for the 2026 IPL season.

Dhoni hinted that players “aren’t applying themselves” but also said that he is closer to identifying the core for next year.

“With all the games that are in front of us that we are supposed to win, we just take it one game at a time and if we lose a few, what will be important for us is to get the right combination for next year,” Dhoni said after his team got trounced by nine wickets at the hands of Mumbai Indians in an IPL game here on Sunday evening.

“You don’t want too many players getting changed, what will be important is to try and qualify, but if not get a secure 11 for next year and come back strong,” the skipper said.

If one talks about core, CSK’s class of 2026 will not be a ‘Dad’s Army’ like the previous years.

A 17-year-old Ayush Mhatre, 20-year-old Shaikh Rasheed, 21-year-old Dewald Brevis, and 22-year-old Vansh Bedi are expected to form the batting core next year with the 25-year-old Rachin Ravindra, skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad and slogger Shivam Dube.

Having already lost six out of eight games, the bottom-placed CSK will find it extremely difficult to win all their remaining six games to make it to the last four stage which looks like a long shot at the moment.

“…we are successful because we play good cricket and at the same time, when we are not playing good cricket what is important is not to get too emotional about it and at the same time, you want to be practical,” he added.

Dhoni rarely gives his opinion on any issue but he didn’t mince words in dissecting his team’s poor batting. CSK have consistently failed to either chase or put up big scores.

“I think we were quite below par, because we all knew that dew will come in the second half and we were in a position to exploit the middle overs,” Dhoni spoke about lack of cricketing sense among the batters.

He wanted his set batters to start slogging slightly earlier .

“I just felt that (Jasprit) Bumrah being one of the best death bowlers in the world right now, once he (Bumrah) started early, that was the time we should have capitalised and started our slog slightly early.

“And if even Bumrah also goes for runs, it’s a plus point. I think there were a few overs where we could have got slightly more runs. We needed those runs because 175 with the dew around is not a par score.”

He was all praise for Mhatre, who smashed everyone out of the park.

Also Read: IPL diary: Kohli’s milestone century of T20 fifties sparks IPL charge

“I think as a youngster he batted really well, and that’s the kind of approach that is needed where you play your shots and at the same time, you pick your shots that is your strength,” the skipper said.

“He went and played his shots and we also haven’t seen him much. So, it is a good sign for us at the top of the order that if he can keep playing the shots, it will become slightly easier for the middle and lower order.”