IPL 2024: Don’t do that in a team game” – Irfan Pathan on MS Dhoni refusing strike to Daryl Mitchell

Former Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan feels MS Dhoni should not have denied Daryl Mitchell the strike in the final over against Punjab Kings at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai on Wednesday after their seven-wicket loss. Dhoni sent back the New Zealander on the third ball of the last over against Arshdeep Singh.

The veteran batter missed the next ball but got a crucial six on the penultimate ball of the innings. Dhoni scored an unbeaten 14 from 11 balls whereas Daryl Mitchell faced a solitary ball.

The former CSK captain had also struggled to hit the big shots in the penultimate over against Rahul Chahar. CSK could only manage 162-7 after they were put into bat by Sam Curran.

“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 Pathan 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,” Pathan added.

Meanwhile, Curran made a brave call to give the 19th over to Rahul Chahar, who conceded only three runs and also got the wicket of Moeen Ali. Pathan said it was a masterstroke from the PBKS stand-in captain.

“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 reasoned.

Pathan reckons Arshdeep also bowled a decent final over of the innings despite a six being hit off his bowling. Singh conceded 13 runs in the last over.

“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 observed.

Chennai Super Kings will once again take on Punjab Kings at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium, Dharamsala on Sunday.