Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan hit out at legendary MS Dhoni for his 'selfish' decision during the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Punjab Kings (PBKS). Irfan didn't agree with Dhoni's decision to not run between the wickets and deny singles despite having explosive batter Daryl Mitchell at the other end. Irfan affirmed that a player shouldn't do that in a team sport, especially with a well-recognised batter at the other end.
Interestingly, Dhoni had done the same thing earlier in the tournament with Ravindra Jadeja batting at the other end.
"You will definitely talk about the six since MS Dhoni has a huge fan following. People love him a lot. However, the sort of knock he played, more was expected from him," Irfan said on Star Sports.
"He shouldn't have done that (refusing a single). This is a team game. Don't do that in a team game. The other guy is also an international player. If he had been a bowler, I would have understood it for sure. You have done that with (Ravindra) Jadeja and with Mitchell as well. You don't need to do that. He could have avoided it," he added.
What exactly did MS Dhoni do?
In the Indian Premier League (IPL) match on May 1, MS Dhoni walked out to bat at No.7 during the match against Punjab Kings (PBKS). Intent on launching big hits, Dhoni refused a single to Daryl Mitchell, who had been acquired for Rs 14 crore during the mini-auction, to retain the strike.
In the final over, bowled by Arshdeep, it began with a wide, followed by a low full toss which Dhoni drove past the extra-cover fielder for a four. After another wide and a full toss, Dhoni decided against taking a single, forcing Mitchell to go back to the non-striker's end. On the penultimate delivery, Dhoni capitalised on yet another full toss, sending it soaring over the boundary for a six.
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