IPL 2020 | MS Dhoni probably went for the safer option with Ravindra Jadeja, reckons Ajit Agarkar

In a match that went down to the wire with 17 runs needed off the last over, Delhi Capitals chased down the target of 180 set by CSK in Sharjah with the help of an explosive cameo from Axar Patel, where he hit Ravindra Jadeja for 3 sixes in the last over. Interestingly, MS Dhoni had to bring on a left-arm spinner against left-handers Dhawan and Axar as Dwayne Bravo had injured himself and Dhoni had to make the choice between Karn, who had bowled three overs for 34 runs then, and Jadeja, who had bowled only one over.

Former India pacer Ajit Agarkar reckoned that the CSK skipper went with the safer option with Jadeja and it would have been a huge gamble to go with Karn in the last over. 

“Well, clearly not. But we’ve got the hindsight - it’s a beautiful thing for us. The captain makes a gut call at that point. The one thing I’d say is Jadeja had bowled just one over till then and Karn Sharma had bowled three so you could see who he trusts a bit more in those conditions. But it would have been a huge gamble. Mahendra Singh Dhoni is known to take gambles so he probably went for the safer option on the experienced Jadeja - where he thought he might get away with it,” Agarkar said on the ‘T20 Time Out’ show of ESPNcricinfo.  

Agarkar further went on to point out that defending is always tough at a batting-friendly venue like Sharjah as once the batsmen are set it’s difficult to get them out. 

“It’s always tough (defending total in Sharjah). You could still give them a little bit more or if you wanna be harsh with bowlers in Dubai and Abu Dhabi but in Sharjah, it’s so hard. It’s difficult. It was a good pitch as well. Again like the first game seemed like they pulled it back and they were in control but it is such a difficult ground when there are good set batsmen in that it is difficult to defend,” he said.