Chennai Super Kings (CSK) skipper MS Dhoni accomplished yet another feat as he guided his side to their tenth Indian Premier League (IPL) final after registering a win against Gujarat Titans (GT) on Tuesday. The four-time IPL winners secured a 15-run victory over the defending champions in Qualifier 1, which ensured CSK’s spot in the IPL 2023 final, set to be held on May 28.
During the contest, an uncommon incident took place as the play was bizarrely stopped prior to the 16th over of GT’s run chase. This interruption happened after CSK’s young fast bowler, Matheesha Pathirana, was prevented from bowling by the on-field umpires Chris Gaffaney and Anil Chaudhary. From the visuals, it was understood that Pathirana had been off the field for a period. Hence he became ineligible to bowl until he completed the required time on the field.
Following this, CSK skipper MS Dhoni was spotted having a chat with the umpires, surrounded by the other players. Although the conversation between Dhoni and the umpires remained unclear, CSK effectively managed to bring the game to a temporary halt for a span of four minutes. This strategic move eventually helped the Sri Lankan youngster to receive the green signal from the officials, allowing him to continue bowling.
Here is the video:
https://twitter.com/cricbaaz21/status/1661089822650318858
The incident quickly became a major talking point on social media, attracting reactions from fans and experts of the game. While some fans criticized MSD for his tactical manoeuvre, others commended the veteran stumper for his street-smart strategy. It was later reported that Dhoni was prepared to face the over penalty but wanted to continue with Pathirana bowling the 16th over. Notably, the Lankan talent had three overs remaining in his quota when the episode took place at a packed MA Chidambaram Stadium.
In accordance with the IPL’s Playing Conditions, Law 24.2.3 suggests that if a player is absent from the field for more than 8 minutes, specific limitations are imposed on his participation in the ongoing match. As per the rules, the player is prohibited from bowling in the match until he has either rejoined the field and actively participated or his team has batted for a duration equal to the time the player was absent (referred to as Penalty time).
