"Dhoni doesn't come to bat at all" - Aakash Chopra on CSK's batting issues in IPL 2025 loss to RCB

Former India player Aakash Chopra has questioned MS Dhoni's batting position in the Chennai Super Kings' (CSK) IPL 2025 loss to the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). He also noted that Rahul Tripathi, Deepak Hooda and Sam Curran have been found wanting with the bat in the five-time champions' first two games of the ongoing edition of the Indian Premier League.

RCB set CSK a 197-run target after being asked to bat first in Chennai on Friday, March 28. The home team managed only 146 for eight in the chase, losing the game by 50 runs.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel 'Aakash Chopra', the former India opener opined that Dhoni's batting position compounded CSK's woes in their IPL 2025 clash against RCB.

"Rahul Tripathi, Deepak Hooda and Sam Curran aren't scoring runs. Shivam Dube played for some time, but he too didn't score too many runs. You cannot play with this batting. Firstly, Ruturaj Gaikwad doesn't open because they have to make Rahul Tripathi open," Chopra said (15:30).

"Rahul Tripathi is not scoring runs and Deepak Hooda is not looking that great. Playing Sam Curran at No. 5 is at least two numbers too high, and Dhoni doesn't come to bat at all. The Chennai fans want two things - firstly, Dhoni should hit sixes, and secondly, Chennai should win," he added.

The cricketer-turned-commentator opined that the former CSK skipper should have batted above Ravichandran Ashwin at least, especially since he is striking the ball well.

"He should have definitely come where Ashwin came to bat. Why would you bat at No. 9? It's understandable if you are unable to strike the ball, but if you are batting so well and can hit sixes, please come to bat slightly up the order. You were too late in coming in. I am not convinced at all that he should come so low," Chopra observed.

Rahul Tripathi (5 off 3), Deepak Hooda (4 off 9) and Sam Curran (8 off 13) fell for single-digit scores, with Ruturaj Gaikwad being dismissed for a four-ball duck. MS Dhoni scored an unbeaten 30 off 16 deliveries at No. 9, but the game's fate was virtually decided before he walked out to bat.

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"All 3 wickets were with short balls" - Aakash Chopra lauds Josh Hazlewood's spell in RCB's IPL 2025 win vs CSK

Josh Hazlewood registered figures of 3/21 in four overs in RCB's IPL 2025 clash against CSK. [P/C: iplt20.com]

Reflecting on RCB's bowling in the same video, Aakash Chopra praised Josh Hazlewood for dismissing three CSK batters with short balls.

"Josh Hazlewood should be spoken about because he picked up three wickets, and all three wickets were with short balls. He first dismissed Rahul Tripathi, then Ruturaj Gaikwad, and after that, Ravindra Jadeja too with a short ball," he said.

The former Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) player pointed out that the Australian seamer bowled lengths he would bowl in a Test match on the bouncy Perth wicket.

"He did not bowl the format. The T20 format says that you shouldn't bowl length balls for long, but he said his strength is to bowl back of the length, hit the wicket a little, and use bouncers in between, as if he was playing a Test match at Perth. He bowled exactly like that. He was brilliant, and that made a huge difference in the end," Chopra observed.

Josh Hazlewood (3/21) was RCB's highest wicket-taker in Friday's game. Yash Dayal (2/18), Liam Livingstone (2/28) and Bhuvneshwar Kumar (1/20) were also among the wickets for the Bengaluru-based franchise.