IPL 2020: MS Dhoni is Not Match-Fit, This Has Affected His Reflexes and Timing -Javed Miandad

Former Pakistan batsman Javed Miandad believes that MS Dhoni might be physically fit but not match-fit at the moment. He feels that he has affected his reflexes and timings and due to this, he is not able to perform well in the IPL-2020 so far.

In nine matches so far, MS Dhoni has scored only 136 runs with the best score of 47* and a strike rate of 132.40, averaging 27.20. In the previous match against Delhi Capitals, he managed to score only three runs.

Javed Miandad is of opinion that a player’s physical ability goes down with age and as he/she grows older, they need to work hard on their fitness to keep going at the highest level.

“Your physical ability is inversely proportional to your age. As you grow older, your physical ability goes down and you must work harder on your fitness to get going at the highest level […] Physically Dhoni is still very fit. I am talking about his match fitness. For a player of Dhoni’s age, it becomes even more difficult […] To me, the problem areas are his timing and reflexes. If a player is not totally match-fit, his timing and reflexes get slower,” Miandad told Indian Express.

Miandad further observed that MS Dhoni’s position at the time of playing certain shots was not right and suggested him to increase his exercise drills and batting time in the nets.

“What I have seen, his body positions were not right for certain shots. This is a reason why he is struggling with his timing […] My suggestion to Dhoni will be to increase his exercise drills and batting time at the nets. If he is doing 20 sit-ups (for example), he can increase it to 30. If he doing five sprints, he can increase it to eight. If he is spending an hour at the nets for batting practice, he can increase it to two hours,” he added.

CSK will need to win at least four of their remaining five matches to have any chance of qualifying for the playoffs.

Chennai Super Kings will now face Rajasthan Royals at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi on Monday (October 19).