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From entering the pitch angry to 'bullying' the umpire: Top five 'off-beat' moments from MS Dhoni's CSK captaincy career
CSK have won the IPL four times under MS Dhoni's captaincy and here are the top five highlights from his captaincy stint with the Yellow Unit:
MS Dhoni is regarded as one of the global ambassador of cricket and on Thursday the wicketkeeper-batter brought an end to yet another glorious chapter in his cricketing career. The 40-year-old, who is approaching the twilight of his career, stepped down as the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) captain, handing over the baton to star all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja.
CSK have won the IPL four times under Dhoni's captaincy and here are the top five highlights from his captaincy stint with the Yellow Unit:
When Captain Cool lost his cool
Fans have always known Dhoni as a cool custodian but in 2019 they got to witness a different side of the number 7. The incident took place while CSK were playing Rajasthan Royals (RR) as Dhoni walked into the pitch midway during the contest, following a no-ball decision by the umpire.
He was subsequently fined 50 percent of his match fees for his conduct.
When Dhoni ‘bullied’ the umpire
Dhoni has such an essence that everything he does becomes a lasting memory for the fans. And just in case you have forgotten here is yet another episode capturing the authority of the wicketkeeper on the pitch.
The incident took place when CSK were playing Sunrisers Hyderabad and what seemed like a wide to naked eyes was not given by the umpire Paul Reiffel.
“He started calling it a wide, he looked up, saw Dhoni and he changed his mind,” West Indies legend Ian Bishop had told ESPNcricinfo, while sharing his views on the incident. “I am someone who is sympathetic to the umpires because it is a difficult job, but tonight I will say that Reiffel made a mistake.”
Following the contest, there was a heavy debate with most fans claiming Dhoni ‘bullied’ the umpire, forcing the umpire to commit the error.
Shrewd captain
Dhoni is well known for his shrewd captaincy skills and the fans got a taste of it when CSK were playing Mumbai Indians in the IPL finals in 2010. The wicketkeeper set the template on how to tackle the sheer power of Kieron Pollard, a move which is opted by the modern day skippers till date.
In order to get rid of the star all-rounder, Dhoni had then placed Matthew Hayden at straight mid-off, a rather unconventional field setup. The move was right on target as Pollard was eventually caught by the Aussie at the same position. CSK eventually went on to win the match by 22 runs and also their maiden IPL title.
Master of words
As CSK defeated Kolkata Knight Riders in the finale of the previous edition held in Dubai, Dhoni came up with an epic response when asked about his IPL future.
“Still I haven't left behind” followed by a chuckle was MSD's response when he was prodded by Harsha Bhogle about the legacy he'd left behind during the post-match presentation ceremony.
MS Dhoni steps down: Top five knocks from former CSK captain that have enthralled fans
Bromance with Jadeja
Both Dhoni and Jadeja have played together for a major part of their career with the Indian Team and the Yellow franchise. During these years, we have seen many on-field banters between the two but one particular incident, which took place during CSK vs RR in 2019 tops the list.
The incident took place when Jadeja smashed Ben Stokes for a six despite failing to maintain his body balance and landed flat on the pitch.
What followed next was more eventful as Jadeja remained in that position, while an ecstatic Dhoni walked up to him and celebrated the moment in a bizarre way.
