Disappointed with CSK's performance, Vishnu Vishal asks: Is any sport played not to win?

Chennai, April 12: Actor Vishnu Vishal, who is a cricketer himself, has expressed disappointment over the poor performance of his favourite IPL team, the Chennai Super Kings, in their match against the Kolkata Knight Riders on Friday, wondering why the skipper of CSK Mahendra Singh Dhoni chose to come so low down the batting order when his team needed him the most.

The actor, who usually refrains from criticising sportspersons or teams, made an exception on Friday when the Chennai Super Kings performed poorly against the visitors on their home ground in Chepauk.

Vishnu Vishal, without taking names, raised questions, which obviously were for the CSK captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

A deeply disappointed Vishnu Vishal wrote, "I refrained and refrained and refrained being a cricketer myself... I didn't wanna come to conclusions too soon...But this is atrocious... Why come so lower down the order...Is any sport played not to win? It's just like visiting a circus now... NO INDIVIDUAL IS BIGGER THAN THE SPORT."

Many of those on social media felt that the question on 'Why come so lower down the order?' was meant for captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who continued to come in at the fag end of the innings, despite the team struggling to accelerate, right from the start.

Eventually, Chennai Super Kings managed to make a paltry 103/9, their lowest score on their home ground. CSK lost the match to KKR, who breezed through to the winning total in just 10 overs.

Vishnu Vishal, who is a trained cricketer and who was a sportsperson before turning an actor, is also the husband of Indian badminton star Jwala Gutta.

On the acting front, Vishnu Vishal has a series of films in his kitty. These include his film with director Ramkumar titled 'Irandu Vaanam'.The film features Mamitha Baiju in the lead along with Vishnu Vishal. The actor also has director Praveen K's crime thriller Aaryan waiting to release.

Reader Comments

R

Rajesh K.

Totally agree with Vishnu here. CSK's batting order was baffling yesterday. When your team is struggling at 30/4, you send your best finisher at No. 8? 🤔 This isn't the Dhoni we know and love.

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Priya M.

As a die-hard CSK fan, this was painful to watch. But I think we should trust Thala's decisions - he's won us 5 trophies for a reason! Maybe there's something we're not seeing. #WhistlePodu 💛

A

Arjun S.

Respectfully disagree with Vishnu. Cricket is a team sport and one bad match doesn't define a legend like Dhoni. The entire team underperformed - can't pin this just on batting order.

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Sneha R.

Omg that match was brutal! 😭 But I appreciate Vishnu speaking up - he knows cricket well. Maybe CSK needs to rethink their strategy this season. The magic isn't working like before.

K

Karthik V.

As a neutral fan, this was tough to watch. CSK looked completely out of ideas. But calling it a "circus" might be too harsh - every team has off days. They'll bounce back stronger!

M

Meena P.

The real issue isn't Dhoni's position - it's the weak middle order! We need proper batsmen who can handle pressure. Hope the management makes some changes before next match. #CSKForever

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.