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Watch: Dhoni consoles heartbroken Mohit Sharma with brilliant gesture after Jadeja smashes him in last over of IPL final
Like a true sportsman, Dhoni shook hands with Mohit Sharma and rubbed the back of his head after he was hit for a six and a four in his last two balls by Jadeja
Social media generally comes down heavily on a bowler who concedes a six and a boundary when 10 runs are required in the last two balls of the match. Things can turn ugly especially if it's the final of a high-stake tournament like IPL. But Mohit Sharma's case was different. Yes, he failed to close out the match for the Gujarat Titans as an ultra-motivated Ravindra Jadeja got the better of him when it mattered the most to snatch a thrilling victory for Chennai Super Kings in the IPL 2023 final but if it wasn't for him, GT would not have had their noses in front in the first place.
Mohit landed four deliveries in the blackhole - two of them low full tosses - when CSK needed 13 runs off the last over in a rain-truncated final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad but he somehow lost the plot when the match was in his control. With CSK needing 10 off the last 2, Mohit was seen having lengthy chats with captain Hardik and even having fluids a few times. He was clearly under the pump but Jadeja wasn't.
The CSK all-rounder went deep in his crease to launch the fifth ball for a straight six and then clipped the full toss off his pads to steal a famous win for Chennai. When the CSK players invaded the pitch to celebrate their fifth title and Jadeja ran towards CSK captain MS Dhoni only to be lifted by the legendary cricketer, Mohit Sharma cut a lone a figure, wiping his face with his red towel.
Hardik Pandya hugs Mohit Sharma after his last two balls get hit for boundaries by Jadeja
Hardik spotted this and was quick to walk towards Mohit and hug him. The veteran right-arm pacer had done a terrific job for GT throughout the season. Despite not being in selection consideration for the first three matches of the season, he picked up 27 wickets in 14 matches and gave his teammate Mohammed Shami, who played three more matches than him, a run for his money for the Purple Cap. For someone who had gone unsold last year and was only a net bowler in the GT camp, it was one hell of an achievement for the right-arm seamer.
Dhoni, under whom Mohit Sharma played most of his cricket in IPL in the early part of his career and also broke into the Indian side, knew what his former teammate must be going through. Like a true sportsman, Dhoni shook hands with Mohit and rubbed the back of his head. The Haryana pacer then walked back to the dugout amid loud cheers from the capacity crowd.
VIDEO: MS Dhoni's brilliant gesture for Mohit Sharma after Jadeja smashes him last over of IPL 2023 final
“We've been backing them and their success has been their success. Mohit, Shami, Rashid everyone…the way they put their hand up. Special mention to the coaching staff as well. I can't ask anything more from them,” said Hardik Pandya in the post-match presentation.
