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The Super King MS Dhoni's Chennai Missed: Akeal's Texas Heroics Reveal Disastrous Planning

Probuddha Bhattacharjee

Akeal Hosein and MS Dhoni [Source: @StanMSD,  @imkevin149/x.com]Akeal Hosein and MS Dhoni [Source: @StanMSD,  @imkevin149/x.com]

A wicket-maiden in the powerplay, dismissing Quinton de Kock and Tajinder Singh in consecutive overs and having figures of 3/15 in a T20 match - what more could be a reflection of your brilliance? Akeal Hosein did this all in his latest outing for the Texas Super Kings against the MI New York in MLC 2025. His brilliant spell left MI New York reeling at 75/4 in the 11th over of the innings, effectively ending their fight to chase down 224.

What brings us to this is irony that could not have been starker. The same Akeal Hosein went unsold during the IPL 2025 mega auction, where he was registered for a base price of ₹1.5 crore. While he now forms the backbone of the Texas Super Kings - their Indian outlet, CSK missed out on a possible match-winner. 

Perfect Suit For CSK Template

Hosein embodies everything CSK traditionally values:

  • Experience: 52 T20Is with 45 wickets at 7.5 economy rate
  • Proven performer: Best T20I figures of 5/11 in 2024 T20 World Cup
  • Versatility: Left-arm spinner effective in powerplay and death overs

His recent MLC form is showing the CSK think tank exactly how they missed out on securing the services of a player who could have been a solution to multiple problems for them during the dismal 2025 campaign.

How CSK Missed The Trick

The 2025 season of CSK exposed some critical vulnerabilities. The franchise struggled massively in the powerplay, conceding runs at a rate that was out of hands and also failing to pick up wickets. With the pace bowlers leaking boundaries, CSK desperately needed spin options upfront. 

Akeal's ability to bowl in the powerplay with his dominant arm ball and subtle variations would have been game-changing. CSK, historically known for their love of spin bowling, missed a spinner during the campaign who thrives exactly where they struggled the most. At ₹1.5 cr, he represented exceptional value for a proven powerplay wicket-taker.

The Texas Vindication

Today's performance by Akeal Hosein epitomised what CSK missed - his wicket-maiden in the powerplay showcased his ability to stem the run flow and deal early blows, the phase where CSK haemorrhaged runs in 2025. Playing in the same yellow jersey under a similar philosophy, he has proven that spin in powerplay isn't just viable - it is devastating when executed correctly.

His consistency, economy, and powerplay prowess align perfectly with what CSK's traditionally spin-heavy approach needed. 

As the Texas Super Kings advance with Hosein spinning webs in MLC, Chennai fans can only wonder: What If they'd trusted their template and signed the spinner who was hiding in plain sight for just ₹1.5 crores?