"Don't do that in a team game" - Irfan Pathan on MS Dhoni denies single in CSK vs PBKS match

Former India player turned commentator Irfan Pathan has questioned MS Dhoni for denying the single and giving the strike to Daryl Mitchell in the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) IPL 2024 match against the Punjab Kings (PBKS). However, Dhoni scored 14 runs off 11 balls as CSK set PBKS a 163-run target in Chennai on Wednesday, May 1. PBKS chased the target down with seven wickets and 13 deliveries in hand to climb into seventh position on the points table as well.

CSK lost the game to PBKS

During a discussion on Star Sports, Irfan Pathan was asked about his
thoughts on MS Dhoni’s knock, including his first six at Chepauk this season.
While mentioning that the former CSK captain could have done better, the
veteran criticized his decision to refuse a single as well.

“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,” he said. “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.”

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However, MS Dhoni hit the third ball of the final over bowled by Arshdeep Singh to long-off as well. He also asked Mitchell to return to the non-striker’s end after the New Zealand batter had reached the striker’s end for a single as well. Dhoni
then hit a six off the penultimate ball and he was out while trying to take a second run off the final delivery as well.

MS Dhoni has been in sublime form

“Curran getting a spinner to bowl the 19th over was a masterstroke because considering the form MS Dhoni is in, he could have taken the game way forward in those two overs. He could have scored 30 runs in two overs but they didn’t allow him to do that,” he added.

However, MS Dhoni scored only two runs off the four deliveries he faced from Rahul Chahar in the penultimate over. The young leg-spinner also dismissed Moeen Ali in the same over, with Daryl Mitchell managing only a single off the only ball he faced.

“You bowled to him with excellent planning. Although a six was hit for sure in Arshdeep’s over, he also bowled well. He (Dhoni) has been unable to score runs against spinners in the last few years, which is why he is bringing himself down the order. He is scoring runs in the last over when the fast bowlers are thinking of bowling yorkers,” Pathan concluded.