Skip to main content

Watch: Dhoni Plays With Hardik's Mind, Tricks Him Into Giving His Wicket

Chennai Super Kings skipper MS Dhoni might not be an international cricketer anymore but he is still conjuring his usual imaging in the Indian Premier League. Leading the Chennai franchise, Dhoni once again took them to the final of the IPL, beating Gujarat Titans in Qualifier 1 on Tuesday. A great example of Dhoni's tactical brilliance was witnessed on the field when he 'played with Hardik Pandya's ego' to get his prized wicket, making the cricketing world bow down.

CSK avoided a detour to the final as they came out on top against the defending champions GT in the first qualifier of the playoffs. Having finished 9th in the points table last season, Dhoni's men showed remarkable improvement this year, putting in consistent all-round performances in the campaign. Though Dhoni hasn't been able to contribute a lot with the bat, he remains one of the biggest assets for the team because of his captaincy brilliance.

When Hardik was on the crease, Dhoni deliberately changed the field, playing with the Gujarat skipper's mind, to trick him into giving a catch directly into the hands of Ravindra Jadeja.

After using pacers in the first 5 overs, Dhoni brought in the spinner Maheesh Theekshana in the 6th over, the final over of the powerplay. Hardik looked to cut the ball past Moeen Ali square of the wicket but only found the fielder. Seeing this, Dhoni devised a brilliant plan.

The CSK skipper brought in Ravindra Jadeja from the backward-square to the backward-point. On the next ball, Hardik ended up hitting the ball directly into the hands of Jadeja. Here's the video:

Witnessing the incident, commentator Ravi Shastri said on-air: "He (Dhoni) played with Hardik's ego there."

At the end of the match, Dhoni admitted that he can be quite annoying as a captain because of his tendency to change fields often. 

"You see the wicket and according to that you keep adjusting the field. I can be a very annoying captain, I keep shifting fielders 2-3 feet. Only request I ask from the fielders is, keep an eye on me. If there's a dropped catch there will be no reaction (from me), just keep an eye on me," he said.

As long as Dhoni keeps getting wickets for CSK with his field placements, it is tough to believe that any fielder would mind putting the hard yards for the team and the skipper.



source https://sports.ndtv.com/cricket/ms-dhoni-plays-with-hardik-pandyas-mind-tricks-him-into-giving-his-wicket-watch-4061151

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

156.7 Kmph Sensation Awaits India Debut, Bangladesh Start Life After Shakib

Pace sensation Mayank Yadav is expected to unleash his raw speed while the absence of India's T20 regulars will provide another opportunity to the fringe players in the three-match series against Bangladesh, beginning here Sunday. Having consistently generated speed in excess of 150kmph in his maiden IPL earlier this year, Mayank had drawn the attention of the cricketing world before a side strain ruled him out of the tournament. Usually, one has to prove fitness in domestic cricket to be considered for national selection but the 22-year-old has been fast-tracked into the side considering his special talent. The series against Bangladesh will be a test of his fitness and temperament. It is yet to be figured if he can display the same accuracy and control that he exhibited in the IPL. Besides Mayank, fellow Delhi pacer Harshit Rana and all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy could also make their India debut over the course of the series. Nitish was picked for the Zimbabwe tour post the T...

PCB Not Happy With Pak Star Over Social Media Post On Babar Snub: Report

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is not pleased that Fakhar Zaman questioned the selection panel's decision to sideline Babar Azam from the Test side. The panel dropped former captain Babar Azam when they announced the squad for the remaining two Tests against England in Multan and Rawalpindi. Zaman took to X to question the decision, inviting the ire of the PCB. "The top board officials are not pleased with the tweet sent out by Fakhar and relevant persons are having a word with him about it," a well-informed PCB source said. "It's concerning to hear suggestions about dropping Babar Azam. India didn't bench Virat Kohli during his rough stretch between 2020 and 2023, when he averaged 19.33, 28.21, and 26.50, respectively. "If we are considering sidelining our premier batsman, arguably the best Pakistan has ever produced, it could send a deeply negative message across the team. There is still time to avoid pressing the panic button; we should focus on sa...

T20 WC Live: Netherlands Face Sri Lanka In A Must-Win Game For Dutch

Sri Lanka vs Netherlands LIVE Updates, T20 World Cup 2024: Netherlands may be out of the 2024 T20 World Cup even before their match against Sri Lanka ends, if Bangladesh beat Nepal. However, the Dutch need to beat Sri Lanka by a healthy scoreline to keep any hopes of qualifying to the Super 8 stage alive. The game also offers Sri Lanka a chance to get their first win, in what has been a hugely disappointing tournament for the 2014 champions. They would likely finish bottom of their group if they fail to win. ( Live Scorecard | Points Table ) source https://sports.ndtv.com/cricket/sri-lanka-vs-netherlands-live-score-icc-t20-world-cup-2024-38th-match-sl-vs-ned-live-cricket-score-5903285