Sharjah: After being criticized for not giving enough opportunities to youngsters, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) skipper MS Dhoni brought in young batsmen Ruturaj Gaekwad and N Jagadeesan only to see his team’s batting order hit a new low against Mumbai Indians (MI) here on Friday.
Gaekwad had played just two games while Jagadeesan featured in one game before Friday’s match.
However, both fell for a duck each, with Gaekwad falling leg-before to Trent Boult and Jagadeesan getting caught in slips off Jasprit Bumrah, leaving the team tottering at three runs for the loss of three wickets.
Soon Faf du Plessis fell for one, leaving the team at three runs for the loss of four wickets.
Former India captain Kris Srikkanth had criticized Dhoni after the previous match against Rajasthan Royals for not giving opportunities to youngsters and continuing with Kedar Jadhav.
Apart from ringing in changes, Dhoni tinkered with the batting line-up too on Friday, pushing opener Sam Curran down and leaving out his No.3, the experienced Shane Watson out on the bench.
Former India leg-spinner Piyush Chawla too was benched and last year’s Purple Cap winner Imran Tahir was drafted in for his first match of the season. CSK ended the power-play stage at 24 for the loss of five wickets.
