AB de Villiers tells MS Dhoni ‘hit higher or will drop out of CSK team’

Former South Africa batsman AB de Villiers said MS Dhoni should be offered higher in the batting order for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the upcoming IPL, adding that his current lower position does not maximize his impact.Dhoni, 44, will play for CSK when the season begins on March 28. De Villiers said Dhoni’s recent tendency to bat at No. 8 or 9 has limited his impact.Talking about Dhoni’s role in CSK, De Villiers said: “It’s very tricky and not simple. Brands are built over the years and CSK built the empire with the image of MS Dhoni that has always been there. When you mention CSK, you immediately think of Dhoni.”“I feel like his role over the last few years has been purely to keep the brand as strong as possible. That’s why I don’t think he’s going to bat at eight or nine like he did last season and not do enough,” de Villiers said, according to news agency PTI.“We know his batting is impactful, but if he’s batting that low and not being captain, it feels like he’s almost just filling a spot for the wrong reasons. There’s still a place for him but he needs to bat higher, at least six and sometimes maybe five or four.” The former South Africa captain said that Dhoni should make way if he bats below number six. “I do think Rutaraj and Sanju are the perfect players to take over from MS (Dhoni). My only question is where does MS fit in, if he can’t make that big of an impact sometimes at No. 4, 5, 6, then would rather be left out of the lineup,” de Villiers said, adding, “Let someone else, maybe bowl and bat and have a bigger impact in the game.”“ De Villiers also said, “It’s a tricky situation but Sanju Samson is the right person to take over and the credit goes to Dhoni because he has been waiting for the right person. If MS comes on, I hope he can take more pressure and be the one to handle those big moments.”As part of their future plans, CSK traded Sanju Samson from Rajasthan Royals (RR) ahead of the IPL 2026 auction.