Live Score
Cricket Teams
Cricket Players
Watch: MS Dhoni's reaction immediately after he failed to connect last ball for six is heartbreaking
In a moment that went lost, a small clip of Dhoni's reaction has emerged right after he failed to connect the final ball for six.
It was so near yet so far for Chennai Super Kings as MS Dhoni came close to doing something he has made a career out of – finishing out matches for his team. At 41 years, Dhoni defied age and with an unbeaten 32 off 17 balls took the game to the last ball from a stage when all seemed lost for CSK during their IPL 2023 match against Rajasthan Royals. With 21 needed, Dhoni sent the 3rd and 4th deliveries of the over bowled by Sandeep Sharma over the ropes, narrowing the equation down to 7 needed off 3. After 2 singles off the next two balls, CSK needed a six to win, and a four to push the match into a Super Over. Nine out of 10 times, Dhoni would get this done, but last night was the one occasion he could not as Sandeep nailed the perfect yorker limiting Dhoni and Ravindra Jadeja to just a single.
After the match, Dhoni appeared his normal self, chatting away with his teammates and players from the opposition team. However, in a moment that went lost, a small clip of Dhoni's reaction has emerged right after he failed to connect the final ball for six. Coming round the wicket, Sandeep was spot on with his line and length, and had there been even the slightest of margins for Dhoni to take full toll of it, he would have. But the precision of that ball was such that even the great MSD couldn't get it away.
As soon as Dhoni tried to get underneath the ball but realised that all he could squeeze out of it was a single, a small grimace appeared on the CSK captain's face. The stage was perfectly set for another memorable Dhoni finish – he had done it last season against MI and here was another chance – but it wasn't to be. As Sandeep put his arms in the air as expression that was more relief than joy, the same couldn't be said about Dhoni, whose expressions loudly read one of the many 'what could have been' moments.
Watch below the expressions on Dhoni's face after being unable to close out the match:
Dhoni has looked in royal touch in IPL 2023 scoring 58 runs off 27 balls and striking six sixes. He played a cameo in the first game against Gujarat Titans and smoked the first two balls for sixes against Mark Wood against Delhi Capitals en route to completing 5000 runs in the IPL. On Wednesday, Dhoni, who played his 200th IPL match had the opportunity to make the occasion even sweeter, but it didn't bother him – evident from another gem that he dropped during the post-match presentation ceremony. "What's the big difference between 199 and 200," he said.
