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3 RCB Bowlers CSK Legend MS Dhoni Can Own In IPL 2025
Follow UsMSD has been at his absolute best against RCB, having scored 864 runs in 33 innings @ 39.27 and a strike rate of 141.9
The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 is just more than a month away, which means Chennai Super Kings (CSK) legend and fan-favourite MS Dhoni is also hardly a month away from returning back to action. The 43-year-old superstar, who won every major ICC title as captain during his international career, will be featuring in his 18th IPL season.
Now, Dhoni might not be as good as he was a few years back, but can still play those impactful knocks down the order, as we got to witness last season. In IPL 2024, the right-handed batter smoked 161 runs in 11 innings at an average of 53.66 and a strike rate of 220.54. Meanwhile, his wicketkeeping was still top-notch.
Overall, Dhoni has amassed 5243 runs in the IPL at an average of 39.12 and a strike rate of 137.53, including 24 fifties and 252 sixes. MSD has been at his absolute best against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), having scored 864 runs in 33 innings @ 39.27 and a strike rate of 141.9. Dhoni hasn’t scored this many runs against any opponent in the IPL.
CSK will play at least two games against RCB in the IPL 2025, giving Dhoni an opportunity to better those already good numbers. Here, we look at three such RCB bowlers who MSD can own in the upcoming season of IPL.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar
Bhuvneshwar Kumar has 181 wickets in the IPL but the right-arm seamer, who was bought by RCB for INR 10.75 crore in the IPL 2025 mega auction, has never dismissed Dhoni. No other batter has scored more runs against Bhuvi in the IPL without getting out.
Dhoni has slammed 98 off 57 deliveries against Bhuvneshwar at a strike rate of 164.9, including seven four and five maximums. Just like last season, Dhoni is likely to operate only in the last few overs and Bhuvi will be one of RCB’s designated death bowlers. Therefore, don’t be surprised if MSD once again takes Bhuvneshwar to the cleaners.
Yash Dayal
It was Yash Dayal who stopped Dhoni and CSK from once again qualifying for the playoffs last season. The left-arm seamer got MSD caught at the boundary line not only to push RCB to the playoffs but also to knock CSK out of the competition.
MSD will be eager to get his revenge against Dayal, and a small sample size suggests that the wicketkeeper-batter is very much capable of doing so. Before he got out to Dayal, which was only because he had no other option but to whack every delivery out of the park, Dhoni had collected 13 runs off five deliveries against the left-arm seamer.
Nuwan Thushara
Dhoni is yet to come face to face against Nuwan Thushara, whose action is quite similar to Mumbai Indians’ legendary pacer Lasith Malinga, against whom the CSK batter has an impressive record in the IPL. Dhoni has scored 89 off 62 balls against Malinga at an average of 44.5 and a strike rate of 143.6.
Now, Thushara is no Malinga, but RCB will be using him in the final phase of the innings. That’s the phase where MSD is at his brutal best and the 43-year-old wouldn’t shy away from taking down another Sri Lankan seamer with a slingy action. CSK also have Matheesha Pathirana in their squad, so Dhoni will know what to expect from Thushara.
