'Always pressure bowling to Mahi bhai...': Tushar Deshpande reveals how his only focus was to impress MS Dhoni in IPL 2025

While playing in an IPL match between the Rajasthan Royals (RR) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK), Indian pacer Tushar Deshpande faced a moment he still vividly remembers. He recalls the 'butterflies in his stomach' when he was given the ball to bowl to MS Dhoni. With Dhoni and Shivam Dube at the crease, the Mumbai pacer knew he was up against two of the league's most formidable finishers, who were also his former teammates.

I was kind of trying to impress MS Dhoni: Tushar Deshpande

Tasked with bowling the crucial penultimate over on a flat Delhi pitch, Deshpande kept his composure. He successfully held his nerve, conceding only six runs and effectively tying up both star batters. Three of those deliveries were directed at Dhoni, marking the first time Deshpande had ever bowled to him in an official game.

“[Got] a lot of confidence from that over. It’s always pressure bowling to Mahi bhai because he’s the best finisher in the world. I was kind of trying to impress him and just wanted to bowl my best ball to him. Before last season, I had never bowled to him in an official game," Deshpande told ESPNcricinfo.

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The 29-year-old pacer ended IPL 2025 with nine wickets in 10 matches for RR, but his journey back to the field was a challenging one. He was forced to sit out the entire 2024-25 domestic season due to a severe ankle injury. A surgery in October of last year kept him out of the game longer than anticipated, despite his strong desire to return for Mumbai's knockout matches.

Once he recovered, Deshpande put himself to the test in the sweltering heat of Chennai. He bowled an impressive 18 overs during a Buchi Babu match against Haryana, proving his fitness and readiness to return to top-level competition.

“I have put in a lot of effort, actually. It was a major ankle surgery and that being my landing foot, it was necessary that I get operated at that moment of time because coming ahead are a lot of international tours as well. I’m aiming for that, and I’m feeling good now for the start of the season," he added.