'Dhoni didn't keep him saying 'he is slow’': Sehwag's stunning take on CSK skipper’s decision

Ajinkya Rahane batted superbly on his debut for Chennai Super Kings on Saturday, scoring 61 off just 27 deliveries. Rahane’s blitzkrieg innings helped CSK win the match comfortably and register their second win of the season.

CSK had bought Rahane for his base price of Rs 50 lakh and CSK captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni revealed that he talked to Rahane before the start of the IPL 2023.

 “Me and Jinks (Rahane) spoke at the start of the season and I told him to play to his strengths, use your ability to manipulate the fields. I told him to go and enjoy, don't take stress. Yes, we might not be able to give you the first game, but whenever the chance comes, we'll back you,” Dhoni had said in the post-match presentation.

Former India opener Virender Sehwag, however, has raised question over Rahane’s inclusion in CSK squad. It is to be noted that Rahane has played under Dhoni’s captaincy for a long part of his international cricket career before he was dropped in 2018 from the white-ball team. Sehwag said that it is surprising that Dhoni selected Rahane when he was being dropped from ODI for being “slow.”

“What did he see in Ajinkya Rahane that he kept him in the IPL team, but didn't play him for India?” Sehwag asked on Cricbuzz after Rohan Gavaskar gave credit to Dhoni for Rahane’s superb batting.

“Players need confidence. But I'm asking captain Dhoni. When he was the captain of Indian team, he didn't keep him in one-day team, saying ‘he is slow. He can’t rotate strike'. Now, suddenly, when he needed experience, he brought in Ajinkya Rahane,” Sehwag added.