During the Qualifier 1 match against the Gujarat Titans, Chennai Super Kings skipper MS Dhoni was involved in a controversial incident with the umpires. Following the event, Brad Hogg stated that tighter regulations and officiating are required in the future to ensure a smoother conduct of the game.
Dhoni guided the Chennai Super Kings to their 10th IPL final on Tuesday, May 23, with a 15-run victory against the Gujarat Titans in Qualifier 1 at the M Chidambaram Stadium.
However, the game was hampered by an unpleasant incident in the 15th over of the second innings. The CSK captain was spotted having an intense debate with the umpires, with other players joining in.
Matheesha Pathirana, who had been allocated to bowl the over, was ineligible since he had been off the field for some time. However, because the conversation lasted more than four minutes, the Sri Lankan bowler had surpassed the time limit, allowing him to be involved with the ball after his brief absence.
While legendary India cricketer Sunil Gavaskar was outraged by the event, Hogg too expressed his displeasure on social media.
“Dhoni using his presence to full effect, luring the umpires into a 4 minute discussion causing time to run out for Pathirana to bowl after an extended break off the field. Umpires laughing over the incident rather than taking control of the situation is not good enough.”
Since the innings timer is often halted in these circumstances, there has still been no clarification of the the incident.
MS Dhoni – “I don’t know, I have 8-9 months to decide”
The CSK captain was not at his best with the bat, but he was at his best as a strategist. He led his soldiers to choke GT throughout the run chase.
The side captained by Hardik Pandya collapsed on the dry and sluggish pitch, with the lack of dew not aiding their situation.
MS Dhoni addressed his future during the post-match presentation after yet another victory at the Chepauk.
“I don’t know, I have 8-9 months to decide. Why worry about the option right now? I’ll always be there for CSK, no matter what the role. It takes a toll, but I have ample time to decide.”
CSK advanced to the IPL final with a win in Qualifier 1 and will face their opponent in Ahmedabad after the remainder of the playoffs go as planned.