Even the greatest finishers sometimes fail to seal the deal. This was evident when CSK icon MS Dhoni had a bad outing last night. With four balls remaining, Dhoni shockingly denied his partner Daryl Mitchell a single while facing Punjab Kings bowler Arshdeep Singh. Despite Dhoni’s brilliant batting in IPL 2024 so far, he faltered at the critical moment in the innings.
Dhoni hit the second delivery from Arshdeep towards the sweeper cover boundary but declined to run. Mitchell, who was looking for runs, sprinted to the striker’s end before realizing Dhoni was staying put. He hastily returned to his crease as Dhoni yelled for him to get back. Had Dhoni chosen to run, the pair could have picked up two more runs. But Dhoni seemingly lacked faith in Mitchell’s running and sent him back, costing CSK a scoring chance.
Dhoni hit the next two balls for a boundary and six, electrifying the Chepauk crowd. Many people argued that denying single to Mitchell was not a good decision. Anyone following cricket closely knows Mitchell’s talent as he nearly orchestrated another World Cup heartbreak for India last year. Yet the 42-year-old Dhoni trusted his instincts over Mitchell’s. Dhoni was eventually run out on the final ball, his first dismissal this season, as CSK finished with 162/7. Punjab Kings easily chased the total down, winning by seven wickets.
However, the fans on X were displeased that Dhoni denied Mitchell singles, despite the New Zealand all-rounder’s proven ability
The decision to not have Mitchell, a proven big-hitter, on strike was puzzling. As former New Zealand captain and current CSK coach, Stephen Fleming surely knows Mitchell’s power-hitting ability. Mitchell boasts a 138 strike rate in T20Is with 7 half-centuries for the Black Caps. He even smashed a fiery 52 off 32 in CSK’s previous match, propelling them to a 78-run win over Sunrisers Hyderabad. With credentials like that, Mitchell seemed an obvious choice to face more balls.
