‘Dhoni has regrets, wish he hadn’t done it’: Uthappa on CSK great’s infamous act | Cricket
Sawai Mansingh Stadium has been decorated. The Pink City Jaipur was all set to get a splash of yellow – for all M S Dhoni, He was returning to the venue after a long gap of four years and probably for the last time as a professional cricketer. When the home team captain Sanju Samson won the toss, there was a louder cheer than when MS Dhoni was asked to share his thoughts at the time of the toss. The stadium was buzzing, it was the yellow of CSK dominating the pink of Rajasthan Royals.
It was hard to believe that on this same ground, four years ago when Dhoni was playing against RR, he did something unexpected, unexpected. something that in the words of former India cricketer Robin Uthappa, he ‘regrets’.
In the IPL 2019 match between CSK and RR in Jaipur, Dhoni (58) and Ambati Rayudu (57) rescue CSK from 24 for 4. With Dhoni and Jadeja at the crease, CSK needed 18 runs in the last over. , Jadeja hit the first ball for a six to make matters interesting but Ben Stokes, who was then a part of RR, got Dhoni’s crucial breakthrough on the third ball of the over.
But the drama had only just begun. Mitchell Santer came in place of Dhoni. CSK needed 8 runs in 3 balls. Stokes tries a slower one which slips through his hands and results in a waist full toss. Umpire Ullas Gandhe raised his hand correctly to signal a no ball, but was overruled by square-leg umpire Bruce Oxenford.
This is where the problem started. Normally, the square-leg umpire is the one who calls a no-ball at height but does not have the authority to overturn an umpire’s call directly.
Seeing the umpires changing their decision, an angry Dhoni came to the ground and started arguing with them. However, he failed as the umpires did not change their decision and Stokes’ full toss was deemed a valid delivery.
Thanks to the centre, the call did not harm CSK as the left-handed batsman hit the last ball for a six to snatch the win for CSK. Dhoni, who was declared player of the match for his brilliant innings, was criticized for his unnecessary act of entering the ground to argue with the umpires.
Recalling the incident before the RR vs CSK match on Thursday, Uthappa said that Dhoni regretted his move. “I actually spoke to him about it. He told me ‘I just got out’ and I was really upset. I came out and stood there. I straight away saw the umpire raising his hand for a no-ball. ‘ He is the one who controls the game. He was like ‘once you call a no-ball, you cannot take it back’. In that heat of the moment, he went inside the ground. He regretted it He says ‘I wish I had not done this’,” he said on Jio Cinema.
Suresh Raina, who was part of the CSK XI in that match, said, “I was sitting right behind him. I was thinking where is he going? I have never seen him like this.”
