Former India cricketer Robin Uthappa weighed in on the conversation around MS Dhoni’s intent and evolving role at Chennai Super Kings after the 18-run loss to Punjab Kings and said the way veteran wicketkeeper batter is playing right now, he should come high up in the order. Opting to bat first, Punjab Kings posted 219/6, with Priyansh Arya leading the charge. He struck a blistering 103, the second-fastest century by an Indian in IPL history, featuring 7 fours and 9 sixes.

In reply, CSK’s chase was off to a solid start with Rachin Ravindra and Devon Conway dominating the powerplay. Regular wickets, however, hampered their progress. Dhoni’s quickfire 27 off 12 balls kept the chase alive until he got out in the final over and CSK slumped to their fourth successive loss.

“I don’t think there was ever a lack of intent from MS Dhoni. Even outside the IPL, I believe he has passed on responsibility to others and given them a clear understanding of what to expect in the coming years as CSK rebuilds into a championship-contending side. That transition is happening, and while we would love to see MS bat the way he is right now, perhaps a little higher up the order, I don’t think the problem lies at the end,” Uthappa said on JioHotstar.

Uthappa also shared his thoughts on CSK’s performance against PBKS and said, “They started well, scoring almost 9.8 or 9.9 runs per over, which is as good as you can expect with the kind of openers they have. But you can’t let the game slip in the middle overs, especially when chasing a big total. The approach in the overs from 7 to 12 was very quiet.

“You need big overs right after the powerplay to keep the pressure on the opposition. Winning the powerplay is one thing, but owning the middle overs is what wins you games and they failed to do that, again.

“In the last two overs, they needed 42 runs, which is just too many. Had they managed a couple of 15 to 20-run overs in the middle, that equation could have come down to needing just 22 to 25 runs at the end. The intent just wasn’t there,” he added.

CSK will next face Kolkata Knight Riders at home in Chennai on April 11.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)