Former Indian captain MS Dhoni was known for his unflappable attitude during his playing days. Be it at international level or in the domestic circuit, Dhoni has always shown his coolest side in the nail-biting encounters. However, there have been few moments when even a personality like MSD lost his patience. One such episode took place in the 2019 edition of Indian Premier League (IPL) when the cricketing fraternity saw an angry avatar of Dhoni.
It all happened during the game between Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Rajasthan Royals (RR). The incident occurred during the final over when CSK needed 18 runs. England all-rounder Ben Stokes, who was bowling the last over for Rajasthan, conceded a six off the first ball to Ravindra Jadeja followed by a single (off a no-ball) which brought Dhoni back on strike.
Then Dhoni, who was facing the free-hit, guided the ball straight and earned a double However after that Dhoni was sent back to the dugout by Stokes courtesy of a brilliant yorker. With 8 needed off 3, the English player bowled a full-toss after which the on-field umpire appeared to raise his hand to signal a no-ball but did not call it in the end.
A rare moment was now captured as, apparently, a displeased Dhoni walked out to the middle to argue with the umpires, creating a stir in the tensed moment. Though, Santner who came to bat after Dhoni’s dismissal kept his calm and sent the last ball into the stands to take CSK over the line.
Recalling the famous chapter, Santner spoke to sports presenter Rupha Ramani on Super Kings Instagram live session and revealed that CSK skipper had apologized for his action after the electrifying victory. Santner said he was surprised to see Dhoni losing his calm.
“I was probably as surprised as everyone. He (Dhoni) is so calm. But I think that shows you how committed he is to the team and how much of a family it is to him and how much it means to him to do something like that. It wasn’t anger, it was just one of the umpires just stuck his hand out, and you can’t be going back,” said Santner.
“I guess, to end up winning it was a good thing. If we had lost it, there would have been more anger flowing around—it kind of shows you how it brought everyone together. We went on to win a few after that. Those kinds of games… if you get on the right side of the result… it can help you gain momentum moving forward. It wasn’t a perfect game, but different people stepped up at different times,” the Hamilton-born added.
The 28-year-old stated that Dhoni’s all of a sudden mood change might’ve made Stokes a bit nervous, which helped us eventually as he could connect the ball for a maximum.
“I was out there. I obviously saw him out there. He was right next to the umpire. Obviously, he knew he was not allowed to do that. He apologized for straightaway. It might have flustered Stokes and gave me a good ball to hit. I am happy,” Santner added further.
