Stephen Fleming explains MS Dhoni's role amidst calls for longer stays at the crease

The Lucknow Super Giants secured a convincing win against the Chennai Super Kings last night. CSK batted first, setting a target of 177 runs. Despite taking the game deep, CSK's bowling attack couldn't contain a dominant Lucknow batting display. KL Rahul led the charge for LSG with a captain's knock, guiding his team to victory by a comfortable 8 wickets with one over to spare.

However, the major talking point was MS Dhoni's sensational 9-ball cameo in the first innings. Dhoni smashed 28 runs at a strike rate of 311.11 to help CSK post a competitive total on the board. It was yet another impactful knock from him as far as the ongoing season is concerned. However, after every game, fans have been more and more vocal about seeing him bat for longer than usual. 

"He is owning that space"

Yesterday, after the game, Chennai Super Kings' head coach, Stephen Fleming shed light on the situation. Fleming acknowledged the fans' desire but emphasized the importance of preserving him for the entire tournament. In Fleming's words, Dhoni's role is to take advantage of the platform set by the top order and finish strong, a task he's consistently performing well. 

"I think everyone wants to see him for longer as we do but that amount of time is about right. We need him for the tournament and that 2-3 over cameo, he is owning that space. It's up to the rest of the batting unit to get us to a good position where he can push us over the top. He is doing that pretty much every time at the moment which is great to watch," Fleming said.

Fleming also addressed the immense fan attention Dhoni receives, calling it an inevitable by-product of his immense contributions to CSK and Indian cricket. He even referred to Dhoni as the "heartbeat of CSK," highlighting his vital role in the team's success. "We are incredibly proud of what he has achieved. We marvel at the amount of love that he gets. It's no surprise with what he has done with Indian cricket and with CSK with us. We are incredibly proud that he is a part of our side and is pretty much the heartbeat of the side. We thoroughly enjoy it. We know we are beneficiaries of the career that he has had and is having. We enjoy every minute of it," he added.