Unlike Captain Cool: MS Dhoni slammed for confronting umpire after no-ball controversy
Former cricketers, including England great Michael Vaughan, have criticised MS Dhoni for uncharacteristically losing his cool and confronting the on-field umpire during a tense final over in the IPL 2019 match between Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals on Thursday.
HIGHLIGHTS
• MS Dhoni has been fined 50 percent of his match fee for breaching the IPL Code of Conduct
• Dhoni stormed onto the pitch and confronted on-field umpire Ulhas Gandhe over a no-ball call
• Dhoni hit a match-winning half-century for Chennai Super Kings in Jaipur on Thursday
MS Dhoni became the first-ever player to win 100 Indian Premier League (IPL) as captain on Thursday when Chennai Super Kings piped Rajasthan Royals in a last-ball thriller in Jaipur. However, the major landmark was overshadowed by Dhoni's uncharacteristic outburst at on-field umpires during the last over of a tense chase.
Chennai Super Kings had needed 18 from the last over to secure a win in Jaipur. The visitors began the over well with Ravindra Jadeja hitting Ben Stokes for a six in the first ball but Rajasthan Royals pulled things back with the wicket of MS Dhoni in the third ball of the over.
With 9 needed off the last three balls, New Zealand all-rounder Mitchell Santner walked out to bat for CSK. After Ben Stokes delivered the fourth ball of the over, on-field umpire Ulhas Gandhe signaled a no-ball for a waist-high full toss. However, Gandhe retracted his decision after leg-umpire Bruce Oxenford hinted it wasn't a waist-high no-ball.
Miffed with the lack of clarity from Gandhe, Dhoni stormed onto the pitch and confronted the umpire. Non-striker Ravindra Jadeja also joined the conversation but the revised decision stayed and Dhoni headed back to the dug-out disappointed.
It was surprising to see Dhoni, known for holding his nerves even in the trickiest of situations, loose his cool and walk onto the pitch and have an intense argument with the on-field umpire.
Several members from the cricket fraternity, including experts and former cricketers, have questioned Dhoni's uncharacteristic act.
Eventually, Dhoni was fined 50 per cent of his match fee after his outburst. An IPL press release Dhoni had admitted to breaching the tournament's Code of Conduct.
"MS Dhoni, the Chennai Super Kings captain, was fined 50 per cent of his match fees for breaching the Indian Premier League's (IPL) Code of Conduct during his team's match against Rajasthan Royals at Jaipur."
"Mr Dhoni admitted to the Level 2 offence 2.20 of the IPL's Code of Conduct and accepted the sanction," the release said.
Despite all the last-over drama, MItchell Santner kept his cool and delivered a win for Chennai Super Kings by hitting a big six when three runs were needed off the last ball.