- The 18th edition of the extremely popular, much appreciated, crazily followed, and immensely pleasing Indian Premier League (IPL) T20 tournament has commenced with a bang. The cricket crazy Indian fans have a reason to celebrate the ongoing tournament with great excitement since the lucrative league not only attracts some of the best cricketers from around the world but also ensures their favourite home superstars partake in the entire duration with great aplomb. Except for injuries, Indian superstars always ply their admirable trade in front of adoring fans who wish to get bombarded with a rich array of unadulterated entertainment. True to its billing, the IPL always provides that extra zing to the proceedings for the fans, and this edition is no exception.
PC: NDTV Sports
- The first few days of the IPL have gone on expected lines, with the batters dominating the proceedings with the bowlers doing to familiar catching up owing to the modern-day requirements of the spectators and the paying public. All the franchises have shown their brilliance, but some of the most successful ones have failed to deliver on expected lines. Most notably, Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians – the two most successful franchises – have not started their respective campaign with a bang. Mind you, some of the world-renowned cricketers like MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma have been an integral part of these two franchises for years. Their immense contributions to the cause of the league are indisputable.
PC: India Today
- However, we know that MS Dhoni has retired from international cricket for some time now but plies his trade in the cash-rich IPL. Of course, Rohit Sharma is the Team India captain in the Tests and the one-day internationals but has announced retirement from the international T20s. Those closely following the fortunes of the Indian cricketers would have noticed the increasingly diminishing returns from the likes of MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma in the last few editions. Agreed, MS Dhoni is not a frontline batter anymore but prefers to bat down the order. On the other hand, Rohit Sharma is an opener who is expected to set the tone for the innings. Strangely, Rohit’s returns in the IPL have diminished considerably as compared to international exploits.
PC: NDTV Sports
- Yes, ageing superstars in the fast-paced shortest format of the game may appear anachronistic. But we also have an exceptionally fit Virat Kohli fronting for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru with great finesse. What’s worrying is to see MS Dhoni coming so late in the batting order – no 9, to be precise – which simply doesn’t make sense. We know the firepower Dhoni is bestowed with to change the course of the game from the point of no return. Nonetheless, coming so late when the chances of winning have dissipated raises more questions than answers. The team’s purpose is being defeated at the cost of shielding Dhoni appears a bit dodgy. No questions about his fantastic glove work, though. Dhoni should be batting at no. 6/7, not at no. 9. Not justified at all.
 has commenced with much fanfare but features concerns about aging superstars like MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma who are showing diminishing returns in the tournament despite their illustrious careers. The article specifically criticizes MS Dhoni's position too low in the batting order (at number 9) as detrimental to team strategy, while contrasting this with Virat Kohli's continued strong performance despite also being an older player.){kind=link}