Chennai Super Kings’ Thala enthralled fans with his cameo in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 match against Punjab Kings. Dhoni hit a four and a six in his 11-ball stay at the crease before getting run out. While Dhoni’s short stay at the crease at the end of the innings enthralled fans, it was his act right at the beginning of his arrival that irked many, including former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan, who urged the former CSK skipper to not do that in a team game.
Dhoni refused to run for a single, or double, despite having the company of New Zealand hard-hitter Daryl Mitchell at the other end of the pitch. Realising it was an easy single, Mitchell ran from the non-striker’s end and even reached the striker’s end before returning.
In a way, Mitchell completed a double while Dhoni refused to even leave his crease. The act by CSK’s No. 7 left many baffled as Mitchell isn’t a tailender who doesn’t know how to smash the ball in the death overs.
“You will definitely talk about the six since MS Dhoni has a huge fan following. People love him a lot. However, the sort of knock he played, more was expected from him,” Irfan said in a chat on Star Sports.
“He shouldn’t have done that (refusing a single). This is a team game. Don’t do that in a team game. The other guy is also an international player. If he had been a bowler, I would have understood it for sure. You have done that with (Ravindra) Jadeja and with Mitchell as well. You don’t need to do that. He could have avoided it,” Pathan added.
Irfan also lauded Punjab Kings captain Sam Curran for the way he used Rahul Chahar in the 19th over to nullify the MS Dhoni threat.
“Curran getting a spinner to bowl the 19th over was a masterstroke because considering the form MS Dhoni is in, he could have taken the game way forward in those two overs. He could have scored 30 runs in two overs but they didn’t allow him to do that,” he asserted.
“You bowled to him with excellent planning. Although a six was hit for sure in Arshdeep’s over, he also bowled well. He (Dhoni) has been unable to score runs against spinners in the last few years, which is why he is bringing himself down the order. He is scoring runs in the last over when the fast bowlers are thinking of bowling yorkers,” Pathan further said.
