Xtra Time Web Desk: The trademark of MS Dhoni’s leadership is to get the opposition by surprise. On Sunday he surprised Delhi Capitals team management by promoting himself ahead of Ravindra Jadeja in Qualifier 1 at the Dubai International Stadium. There were a few eye brows raised as the CSK captain was not in best of form but still promoted himself ahead of an in form Jadeja.
When Avesh Khan picked the wicket of Ruturaj Gaikwad off the first delivery in the 19th over, Chennai still required 24 runs from 11 balls. Dhoni despatched the fifth ball for a six to bring the equation down to 13 runs from 6 balls. Tom Curran picked the crucial wicket of Moeen Ali in his first ball of the final over. But what happened next is history. Dhoni hit two consecutive boundaries off the next two balls. Curran bowled a wide ball and the next ball he was again sent to the fence by the CSK talisman to see his team home with two balls to spare.
CSK Coach Stephen Fleming said that he didn’t think of stopping Dhoni from promoting himself ahead of Jadeja, keeping in mind the latter’s ability to take the Super Kings home in crunch moments.
“There was a lot of chat. We spoke more in those 20 overs than we have for a long time. There was a lot of technical discussion and manoeuvring to try and work out how this was going to unfold,“ Fleming said in the post-match press conference.
“When the captain got looked in his eyes, he said ‘I’ll go’; it’s been well-documented the times that he has done that. Today was one of those. I am not holding him back, and we saw the result of that,” he stated.
The last time Dhoni promoted himself despite not being in the best of form was in the 2011 World Cup final against Sri Lanka at Wankhede stadium. He promoted himself ahead of in form Yuvraj Singh and we all know the rest was history.