CSK legend MS Dhoni has come under fire for denying teammate Daryl Mitchell a single in the PBKS vs. CSK match at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on May 1. In the first innings, with Arshdeep Singh bowling the final over, Dhoni sliced a low full toss to deep extra cover. Mitchell ran for a single but was sent back by Dhoni after almost reaching the other end.
The star wicketkeeper took a lot of heat for denying his teammate a single. Dhoni did not bat with a tailender and opted to take the strike, former cricketer Aakash Chopra pointed out:
“In the final over, Dhoni surprisingly declined to take a single run. His batting partner was Daryl Mitchell, who is an accomplished batter, not a tailender like Mustafizur. Despite hitting a six, the runs were insufficient.”
Dhoni hit a six off the penultimate ball of the over before being dismissed off the final ball for 14 runs off 11 balls for the first time this season. Meanwhile, Mitchell remained unbeaten on 1.
Chopra also criticised CSK for their sluggish start and failure to make the most of the fielding restrictions during the powerplay.
Asked to bat first, CSK posted a below-par 162/7 against Punjab Kings, with captain Ruturaj Gaikwad again top-scoring with a 48-ball 62. In reply, Jonny Bairstow (46 off 30) and Rilee Rossouw (43 off 23) guided the visitors to victory in 17.5 overs. The defeat leaves CSK fourth on the points table with 10 points from 10 games. Ruturaj Gaikwad's side must now win their final four matches to secure a play-off spot.