MS Dhoni Gets Trolled by CSK After Confusion Over Shivam Dube's Place in Playing XI

From making astute Decision Review System (DRS) appeals to showcasing his supreme leadership talent- MS Dhoni hardly puts a foot wrong. But in a bizarre turn of events, the legendary skipper presumably had a rare brain fade moment ahead of last night’s Indian Premier League (IPL) match between Chennai Super Kings and Delhi Capitals. At the toss, the Chennai skipper had conveyed that Shivam Dube will not be available in the playing XI. But the team sheet later revealed that Dube was in the playing XI. “We will bat first. We have played a few games on this wicket. There are chances of this wicket slowing down. We can’t complain about this track. We try to keep it simple. We try to keep reiterating the same thing. Try to accomplish your plan. Try to execute your plans. We have one change. Rayudu comes in for Dube,” Dhoni reportedly said at the toss.

The rare goof-up soon became a talking point and the official Twitter handle of the Chennai-based franchise also reacted to the strange incident. The four-time IPL champions came up with two photos. The first picture, which had the caption ‘Thala at practice’, shows MS Dhoni shadow practising with Shivam Dube. The other photo appeared to be similar but Dube cannot be seen in it. “Thala at toss,” read the caption of the second picture.

MS Dhoni and Shivam Dube’s hilarious off-field collaboration took the internet by storm but their on-field performances were no less amazing. Dhoni and Dube’s riveting cameos guided Chennai to a defendable total of 167 against Delhi on Wednesday. Dube played a crucial knock of 25 off 12 balls at the Chepauk yesterday. Dhoni, on the other hand, did not stay at the crease for long but his short stint did prove to be quite handy.

He slammed one boundary and two sixes to score 20 off just nine deliveries. The World Cup-winning skipper was dismissed on the penultimate delivery of the Chennai innings.

Later, Chennai pacer Matheesha Pathirana picked up three wickets to restrict Delhi to 140. The 27-run victory helped Chennai to extend their unbeaten run to three games in this season’s IPL. They are now placed in second position in the IPL 2023 standings. Delhi, on the other hand, are still struggling at the bottom of the points table.