Former South African batsman AB de Villiers has said that MS Dhoni should bat at a higher level for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the upcoming IPL, saying that his current position at the bottom does not add to his role.Dhoni, 44, will play for CSK when the season starts on March 28. De Villiers said Dhoni’s recent tendency to bat at No. 8 or 9 limited his impact.Touching on Dhoni’s role at CSK, de Villiers said, “It’s very difficult and not straightforward. Brands are built over years, and CSK has built this empire over the years with this MS Dhoni persona that’s always there. When you mention CSK, you immediately think of Dhoni.”“I think over the last few years, his role has been purely about keeping that brand as strong as possible. That’s why I don’t see a role for him to be batting at eight or nine and not doing enough like last season,” de Villiers said, as quoted by news agency PTI.“We know he can impress with the bat, but if he’s batting so little and not captaining, it feels like he’s almost just making space for the wrong reasons. There’s still room for him, but he needs to bat higher, at least six, maybe even five or four times.” The former South African captain said that Dhoni should step aside if he comes to bat below number 6. “I think Rutaraj and Sanju are the best players to replace MS (Dhoni). My only problem is where does MS fit in and if he doesn’t make a big impact batting at 4, 5, 6 sometimes, he might be out of the team instead,” said someone else, “bowling and batting and making a big impact in the game, coming in and then MS can almost sit on the side as a mentor and then Can also guide boys.“ De Villiers also said, “It’s a tough situation, but Sanju Samson is the right man to handle, and credit to Dhoni because he is waiting for the right person to come along. If MS plays, I want him to put more pressure on himself and be the man to handle those big moments.”CSK traded in Sanju Samson from Rajasthan Royals (RR) ahead of the IPL 2026 auction as part of their plans for the future.
