Former Chennai Super Kings skipper MS Dhoni has been the talk of the town once again since the IPL 2022 started. First the 40-year-old stepped down as the franchise’s captain, after leading them to 4 titles and 9 finals in 12 seasons, and then for his brilliant batting displays in the first two games for CSK.
In CSK’s third match, against Punjab Kings on Sunday evening at the Brabourne Stadium, Dhoni showed his high fitness levels and a remarkable show of athleticism in running out Bhanuka Rajapaksa.
Later in the same innings, his sportsmanship won further applause from all corners. During the 8th over of PBKS’ innings, bowled by pacer Dwaine Pretorius, MSD almost had the dangerous-looking Liam Livingstone caught out down the leg side.
A poor delivery down the leg side, Livingstone tried to run it fine but only managed an edge. Dhoni dived to his left and caught it on the edges of his gloves while going down on the ground.
He didn’t drop the ball, but because it was on the edges of the glove some part of the ball brushed with the grass. And while Pretorius thought he had Livingstone’s wicket and began celebrating, MS indicated to the square-leg umpire that he wasn’t sure he had completed the catch cleanly. That was the first indication that perhaps this was not out, later confirmed by the third umpire of re-checking.
Netizens then effusively praised the wicket-keeper for upholding the gamesmanship for indicating that he had caught it cleanly.
Here are some of the best tweets over Dhoni’s gesture:
Honest man ? @msdhoni
— Rதி. S (@Aarthi_SRTS) April 3, 2022
Looks it just popped out of MS Dhoni’s gloves while completing the catch TT pic.twitter.com/UlAEHRnWuN
— Moinuddin Holy (@HolyMoinuddin) April 3, 2022
“He is so honest dhoni” screams Simon Doull. As Dhoni claims a catch that clearly rolled along the floor before he picked it up and claimed the catch #ipl #cricket
— Tom (@Jupon_tom) April 3, 2022
Dhoni drops a catch.. trust the commentators to praise Dhoni how he’s so honest in accepting that he spilled it..
Vintage Dhoni..?— Krishav (@haage_summane) April 3, 2022
A younger Dhoni might have had the extra inch of speed to get to this cleanly. Few keepers would have even stopped it. MSD asked for the review, honest cricketer. #CSKvsPBKS #IPL2022 pic.twitter.com/Wikq2YVmnc
— Paul Watson (@paulmwatson) April 3, 2022
What a honest man MS Dhoni is! ??
— as|am #RCB
(@aslamixed) April 3, 2022
(@aslamixed) While in the field Dhoni was at his athletic best, with the bat, though, the 40-year-old performed poorly: 23 runs off 28 balls in a run chase of 181.
CSK now have suffered three losses in three games – their worst ever start to an IPL campaign. They now have got an extended time off to regroup and plan before their next game, on April 9, against SRH.
