Former Indian cricketer Navjot Singh Sidhu sharply criticized Chennai Super Kings' MS Dhoni during the match against Delhi Capitals at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Saturday. His comments were made live as Chennai struggled to chase down a target of 184, ultimately falling short by 25 runs. This marked Chennai's second consecutive home defeat this season.

The incident occurred in the 14th over of the final innings when Dhoni faced Mohit Sharma. The bowler delivered a wide yorker to Vijay Shankar, who managed to hit it to long-off for a single. However, Mohit overstepped, granting Dhoni a free hit. Delhi's captain, Axar Patel, positioned fielders at long-on and long-off, while commentator Jatin Sapru suggested in Hindi commentary that an "excellent contest" was unfolding, given Mohit's experience in high-pressure situations.

Sidhu, however, dismissed this notion, asserting that with Delhi needing to defend 95 runs in 28 balls, they were already in a favorable position. He implied that Dhoni's only viable strategy was to aim for a six on the free-hit delivery. Noting the crowd's anticipation for a boundary from Dhoni, Sidhu remarked that if he succeeded, the audience would erupt in excitement.

"There is no contest here. It's a win-win situation. He must go for sixes. If he doesn't do it now, then when? The required run rate is nearly 15. Listen to the crowd; everyone is expecting a six. If he meets that expectation, this stadium will explode," he stated.

Unfortunately for the fans, Dhoni failed to connect with the ball as Mohit surprised him with a bouncer, prompting Sidhu to mock him without mercy.

“Oh... this turned out to be a damp squib. A mountain was dug, and a mouse emerged,” he quipped.

Dhoni faces criticism, again

The former captain of CSK faced renewed criticism following a lackluster performance against Delhi. Coming in at No. 7, Dhoni struggled to gain any rhythm during his 26-ball innings of 30 runs, contributing to CSK's defeat by 25 runs, marking their third consecutive loss.

In a post-match press conference, CSK coach Stephen Fleming clarified that he did not view Dhoni's entry in the 11th over as a strategy for damage control, emphasizing that batting at that point was particularly challenging.

"The intent was evident. When he came to the crease, the ball began to grip more than before. We anticipated that the conditions would favor batting in the first half but would gradually slow down. Therefore, we aimed to capitalize on the pace of the ball while batting," Fleming explained.

"They executed their plan effectively. Vijay Shankar struggled to find his timing throughout his innings. However, the period from the 12th to the 16th over proved difficult for everyone. It was challenging to watch, and certainly tough for those on the field. The game was slipping away, and despite our intent and various approaches, the task became insurmountable," Fleming added.

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