Will MS Dhoni play today vs RCB?

Will MS Dhoni play today vs RCB: There will be a plethora of eyeballs on Super Kings captain’s participation against RCB.

Chennai Super Kings captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni not playing in the last match against Sunrisers Hyderabad saw a below par performance from the defending champions. In what was only their second IPL 2019 defeat, Chennai batsmen posted a mediocre 132/5 in their allotted quota of 20 overs.

With Chennai set to play their 10th IPL 2019 match against Royal Challengers Bangalore tonight, all eyes have once again turned towards the question regarding the legendary cricketer’s availability against Royal Challengers in the South Indian derby.

Speaking during the post-match presentation ceremony after losing to SRH, stand-in captain Suresh Raina had commented on Dhoni’s availability for the next match. “He [MS Dhoni] is feeling better. His back was stiff. Probably he will play in the next game against RCB,” Raina has said.

Speaking on the eve of the match, Super Kings coach Stephen Fleming was vocal about both his injured players in Dhoni and all-rounder Dwayne Bravo. “Both will be training tonight. We will see how they scrub up after training,” Fleming was quoted as saying.

“Hard to win games without Dhoni”

While Fleming admitted to the certitude that winning without Dhoni becomes difficult for CSK, he also backed other players and hoped of putting a better show at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium tonight.

“It is [harder for Chennai to win games without Dhoni]. He is a great player. When great players are not in your side, it means there is a hole to fill. He’s in great form. So, it does have an impact on your side. You get used to a certain style of play [captaincy] and when you lose [arguably] your best player, you have to make adjustments.

“It doesn’t mean we are not competitive. Doesn’t matter what team we compete against tomorrow, we have to make sure we are better than the last match,” Fleming added.

Meanwhile, Super Kings took it to their official social media handles to post a video of Dhoni batting in the nets. The comfort and ease with which the 37-year old cricketer bats gives significant hints with respect to him leading CSK tonight. Watch the video below:

Such a fin7sh! #WhistlePodu #Yellove #RCBvCSK 🦁💛 pic.twitter.com/G0AUTF9Jy2

— Chennai Super Kings (@ChennaiIPL) April 20, 2019

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About the author

Dixit Bhargav

Born and brought up in Pathankot, Dixit Bhargav is an engineering and sports management graduate who works as a Cricket Editor at The SportsRush. Having written more than 10,000 articles across more than five years at TSR, his first cricketing memory dates back to 2002 when former India captain Sourav Ganguly had waved his jersey at the historic Lord’s balcony. What followed for an 8-year-old was an instant adulation for both Ganguly and the sport. The optimist in him is waiting for the day when Punjab Kings will win their maiden Indian Premier League title. When not watching cricket, he is mostly found in a cinema hall watching a Punjabi movie.

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