Old bloke is losing it
https://www.news.com.au/sport/crick...p/news-story/d7c11f25c681779273d476e5adc5c17d
Indian icon MS Dhoni sparked madness in the IPL when he stormed the field during his side’s batting innings to argue with the umpires as Chennai Super Kings pulled off a thrilling win over Steve Smith’s Rajasthan Royals.
Chennai chased down Rajasthan’s 7/151, securing the win with a six off the final ball, but all the talk in the aftermath was about Dhoni’s brain explosion.
The former Indian captain was fined 50 per cent of his match fee for breaching the Code of Conduct when he left his place in the dugout beyond the boundary to confront the officials over a controversial no-ball call.
With Chennai needing eight to win from three deliveries, England all-rounder Ben Stokes bowled a full toss that was deemed a no-ball by umpire Ulhas Gandhe because it was above the waist. But Gandhe’s colleague at square leg, Australian Bruce Oxenford, overruled him and claimed it was a legal delivery.
That prompted a furious Dhoni to march out to the middle and launch an astonishing protest, demanding the initial no-ball call be upheld. It was completely out of character for Dhoni, who has long been known for his ability to remain cool under pressure.
Former Australian star Michael Slater, who was commentating the match, couldn’t believe his eyes as Stokes also engaged in the discussion with Dhoni.
“I can’t say I’ve seen this (before),” Slater said. “You will never see a captain storm out onto the field to have a discussion with the umpires. Unbelievable.”
Australian cricket journalist Peter Lalor on Twitter said he has “never seen that before” as the cricket world condemned Dhoni’s rash outburst.
Dhoni top-scored with 58 off 43 deliveries as Chennai chased down its target of 152 with four wickets in hand. He was bowled off the third ball of Stokes’ final over.
“They (Rajasthan) were able to build up pressure right until the end. Once you win games like these, you are able to take a lot,” Dhoni said after the win.
“But it’s important to work on the negatives that have not gone well, while enjoying the win. Otherwise it can come back to hurt us later in the tournament.”
With Chennai struggling at 4/24, Dhoni once again soaked up the pressure to put on 95 runs with Ambati Rayudu, who made 57, for the fifth wicket to set up the chase.
He lost Rayudu in the 18th over and with 30 needed from the final 12 deliveries, Dhoni, known for his finishing prowess, got his team in a winning position despite struggling with cramps in the final few overs.
Earlier, Chennai’s bowlers combined to restrict Rajasthan to 7/151. Medium-pacers Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur and spinner Ravindra Jadeja took two wickets each.