Dhoni loses cool as Kings pip Royals
Bespectacled Mitchell Santner smashed Ben Stokes into the stands off the final delivery to guide Chennai Super Kings to a thrilling fourwicket victory over Rajasthan Royals in the IPL game which saw a very public outburst from winning captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
CSK recorded their sixth win in seven games as they made a rough weather of a modest 152 run target before Santner’s six sealed in a dramatic final over in which CSK needed 18 runs.
Dhoni on his part scored 58 off 43 and added 95 with Ambati Rayudu (57 off 47 balls) for the fifth wicket. However Stokes got him with a yorker and a clear waist high no-ball to Santner was ruled out by umpire Ulhas Gandhe after trying to raise his arm.
This prompted an angry Dhoni to enter the ground and literally blast Gandhe before leg umpire Bruce Oxenford calmed him and sent him back before Santner finished it off in style spoiling a brilliant outing from Jofra Archer (1/19 in 4 overs).
Dhawal Kulkarni bowled a perfect away going delivery that squared up Shane Watson (0) while Suresh Raina (4) was beaten by a direct throw.
Faf du Plessis (7) soon followed the suit as Rahul Tripathi took a well judged catch at the deep mid-wicket boundary off Jaydev Unadkat’s bowling to reduce CSK to 15 for 3.
Kedar Jadhav (1) didn’t last long but it took an air-borne Ben Stokes to pull off an incredible catch at backward point off Jofra Archer’s bowling.
At 24 for 4, Dhoni walked in and with two young spinners in Shreyas Gopal and Riyan Parag (0/24 in 3 overs) bowling in tandem, he launched into the duo hitting them for a six each as Rayudu kept on rotating the strike, hitting the odd boundaries in between. —