IPL 2021 Qualifier 1: MS Dhoni, the ultimate risk manager re-emerges for Chennai Super Kings

Dubai, October 9: MS Dhoni made an unbeaten 18 on Sunday night (October 10), his highest score yet in the IPL 2021. He has played several bigger innings - in volume and in significance in a storied career. But this one for Chennai Super Kings in the IPL 2021 Qualifier 1 against the Delhi Capitals might have given Dhoni that extra bit of satisfaction.

Dhoni's outings with the bat in the IPL 2021 has been nothing short of wretched. In fact, the last time CSK met DC in the league phase last week, Dhoni had huffed and puffed to a 27-ball 18 without a boundary. But Dhoni has never been the one to believe in patterns.

When Ruturaj Gaikwad was dismissed in the first ball of the 19th over, the CSK needed 24 runs off 11 balls. The natural choice would have been in-form Ravindra Jadeja, who has been accruing runs at a strike-rate of 145.51 in the IPL 2021.

And yet Dhoni showed the audacity to trust his ability and promote himself ahead of the left-hander in a match as crucial as the IPL 2021 Qualifier 1. It was a massive risk he took, fully aware of what is waiting for him had he failed to take the Super Kings over the line.

Tom Curran snared Moeen Ali in the first ball of the 20th over, and after crossing over Dhoni had 5 balls to get 13 runs.

A prime Dhoni would have nailed it without batting his eyelid but this was a Dhoni who has climbed down from his peak, no longer that fear-inducing finisher. Father Time has caught up with him.

More than anyone else, Dhoni was aware of the stiffness of the task and his own limitations. "My innings was a crucial one. Delhi has a very good bowling attack. They exploited the conditions well, so we knew it would be tough.

''I've not done a lot in the tournament, so wanted to look for the ball and see what the bowler can do. I was batting well in the nets,'' Dhoni told host broadcaster Star Sports after the match.

Dhoni has been the game's ultimate risk manager, breaking down the target in front of him with the precision and coolness of a mathematician. Curran found that out in the hard way in Dubai.

The England pacer's spell until the 20th over was an impressive 3-0-16-2 and that might have prompted DC skipper Rishabh Pant to choose him for the last over.

The plan seemed to be working well as Curran snaffled Ali. But Dhoni carted Curran over extra cover, inches wide of the fielder at that slot, for a four and fortune stood with him in the third ball as he collected a four behind the wicket off an under edge. A wide followed as Curran seemed to have mentally lost the battle.

It was just like olden days, a bowler feeling so hapless against Dhoni in the final stages of a matches. Those little, private duels around which Dhoni built his legend.

Curran bowled short and wide at the off-stump and instead of trying to hit the ball over the cover field and target the longer boundary, Dhoni opted to roll his wrists over and pull the ball to the shorter and unmanned deep square leg fence. It was the work of a batsman who read the field placings and dimensions of the ground to the T.

With that, the Chennai Super Kings entered the IPL final for the 9th time. There could be talks about how Pant missed a trick by not giving the ball to Kagiso Rabada whose extra pace could have made it tougher for Dhoni to play those two shots.

But he was certainly not thinking for Pant there, and was focused on taming the bowler whom he was up against. ''I wasn't thinking too much, if you think too much while batting then you mess your plans up,'' said Dhoni.

Another batsman who has earned a name for himself as master chaser could not contain his excitement, despite leading a rival team in the IPL. Virat Kohli tweeted: ''Andddd the King is back, the greatest finisher in the game. Made me jump outta my seat once again tonight.''

Kohli would not have been the only one who jumped out of the seat on a Sunday night.