Chennai Super Kings skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni who is all set to lead his side in the finals of the Indian Premier League 2023, probably one last time, might not get a fairytale ending to his IPL career. The four-time IPL-winning captain can reportedly get banned from the finals of the ongoing cash-rich league on May 28. Dhoni can get a one-match ban for intentionally wasting time during the Qualifier 1 of the Indian Premier League, played against the reigning champions Gujarat Titans.
The Ranchi-born cricketer has already been fined this season for breaching IPL code of conduct due to a slow rate, and as per the reports by ESPN Cricinfo, he can now miss out on the final slated at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad on May 28, Sunday. During Qualifier 1, played between Chennai Super Kings and Gujarat Titans, Dhoni could be seen arguing with the on-field umpires, which caused a four-minute delay. During the 16th over of a nail-biting thriller on May 23, Dhoni not only guided his team to the final summit for a record 10th time, but also put up a clever show of gamesmanship by eating four minutes, which allowed his lethal bowler Matheesha Pathirana to bowl the over.
Pathirana had taken an eight-minute break during the contest, and when he returned to bowl, the umpires stopped him and had a word with Dhoni regarding Pathirana not completing the stipulated time on the field after the break. As per the IPL rules, any player who leaves the field for more than eight minutes has to be on the ground for a similar amount of time before he is eligible to continue his overs. But as soon as Pathirana came back, he was handed the task to bowl the over, which the umpires objected to, leading to a five-minute argument between the umpires and Dhoni.
Speaking of the game, the four-time IPL winners took down the reigning champions in the Qualifier 1 of the season by 15 runs, making their way to the final summit for a record 10th time. On the night of the final, they will lock horns with the winner of Qualifier 2, which will be played between the reigning champions, Gujarat Titans, and record-time IPL winners Mumbai Indians on May 26, at Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad.
