Hailed as ‘Captain Cool’ during his trophy-laden years as the Indian skipper, an unusually fired-up MS Dhoni walked onto the field to had a discussion with the umpires regarding the controversial no-ball call during an IPL encounter between Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Rajasthan Royals (RR) in Jaipur.
Confusion reigned in the last over after umpire Ulhas Gandhe signalled Ben Stokes’ waist-high delivery a no-ball but the decision was overruled by square-leg umpire Bruce Oxenford, prompting Dhoni to enter the field and confront the umpires.
The no-ball was eventually deemed a legal delivery but CSK, needing four runs off the last ball, managed to win with a last-ball six from Mitchell Santner.
Dhoni was also slapped with 50 per cent fine for breaching IPL’s Code of Conduct. He accepted the sanction.
In the meantime, Stephen Fleming, the head coach of CSK, came out in support of MSD and also shed light on why the CSK skipper got involved at all.
“Our understanding was that the umpire at the bowler’s end had called the no-ball and then there was confusion around whether it was a no ball or not. MS was after some clarity and it didn’t seem to be coming. So, he took the opportunity to go out in there and discuss it with the umpires. That’s how I saw it and that’s how I discussed it with him afterwards,” Fleming was quoted as saying in India Today.
“He only just wanted clarity. The rights and wrongs will be discussed by everybody, including Mahi (Dhoni), I’m sure. But, I think, it’ll be a discussion for the umpires afterwards and I am a watcher as you guys are, for now,” the former New Zealand cricketer added.
“But he was certainly fired up about the way the decision was handled and why it was overturned or if it was overturned. So, there was a lack of clarity, obviously, for him and he wanted to get it clarified at that key moment. It’s unusual but he’s usually pretty calculated. It’ll be something he will be questioned about for sure, for a long time,” he mentioned.
