Ranchi: Given the standards Mahendra Singh Dhoni sets for himself, he has been a bit quiet in this edition's IPL.
In fact, Chennai Super Kings' (CSK) batting, barring Brendon McCullum, has looked pretty inconsistent and probably that's the reason the team suffered a few hiccups this season. But if Dhoni plays the way he normally does, majority of CSK's problems will get sorted out.
Coach Stephen Fleming, too, believes that. Addressing the media before CSK's optional training session, here, on Thursday, Fleming said: "We would definitely like Dhoni to get more runs and he also would want the same.
"But barring Brendon, our top order hasn't really fired. We need all of our top four batsmen to come up with meaningful contributions. If they do so, it becomes easier for our hitters like (Dwayne) Bravo and (Ravindra) Jadeja towards the end. We just need to look after our resources better and get a good score."
Dhoni, meanwhile, didn't turn up at the optional session.
Asked to compare the captaincy styles of Dhoni and Kohli, Fleming answered: "Honestly, I haven't seen much of Kohli. I feel he's emotional, while Dhoni is a lot more calculating.
"See, captains make a mark in longer formats. I don't think IPL is the ideal platform to showcase your skills as a captain."
Fleming believes his team will get its act together and bounce back in style in Dhoni's hometown. "We are playing in familiar surroundings. We had played quite a few matches here last season.
"There's some emotional attachment as well since it's our skipper's hometown. So, we will surely get some more support. But all what matters is whether we do our job as a team. Playing well will be the first and foremost," he reminded.
Fleming indicated that CSK might stick with Dwayne Smith and Michael Hussey as their openers, even though the pair failed to click in Qualifier 1. According to Fleming, Faf du Plessis was not being able to convert the starts, since he was getting out at the wrong time.
"We were on the edge as far as our qualification to the playoffs were concerned. That's why we didn't experiment on the opening combination. But we still hope Smith and Hussey would be able to stitch a good partnership. If they can't, then the next two in the order should deliver...
"To speak of Faf, he's getting out at the wrong time. Look, it's pretty clear. We need our top four-five batsmen to fire. This is something that has not been happening this year. Besides, we have played on pitches in Chennai where scoring is a difficult job," Fleming elaborated.
CSK had the distinction of beating RCB on both occasions at the league stage. Fleming believes getting Virat Kohli, Chris Gayle and AB de Villiers early may again give his team a good opportunity of beating them for the third time.
"RCB are a very good side. We did really well to beat them twice. But the way they played in the Eliminator suggests Friday will be a different ball game."
