MS Dhoni, former Chennai Super Kings (CSK) captain, spoke on the 2019 IPL fiasco during a match between CSK and Rajasthan Royals (RR) in Jaipur. The match ended in a dramatic conclusion, but during the final over, then-CSK captain MS Dhoni became himself in a significant controversy.
Chasing 18 runs in the final over, CSK lost Dhoni on the third delivery, leaving Ravindra Jadeja and Mitchell Santner to complete the task. Ben Stokes bowled a waist-high full toss on the fourth delivery, which was first called a no-ball by on-field umpire Ullas Gandhe.
However, square-leg umpire Bruce Oxenford reversed the call, causing uncertainty and discontent among the CSK team.
Dhoni, visibly enraged, walked onto the field from the dugout to face the umpires, which is an exceedingly unusual move for a captain. Despite his passionate protest, the officials upheld their altered verdict and declared the delivery legitimate.
The incident obscured the dramatic end, but Santner's last-ball six sealed CSK's triumph. Dhoni was later fined 50% of his match pay for violating the IPL Code of Conduct, making it one of the most contentious moments in his career.
Almost six years later, Dhoni remembered the moment during a freewheeling chat with Mandira Bedi, calling it a “big mistake.”
“It happened in one of the IPL games when I just walked on the field. That was a big mistake. But, other than that also, there have been instances where something gets triggered. We play a sport where the stakes are very high, you are supposed to win every game. You have to manage a lot of things,” Dhoni said in the chat hosted by MasterCard.
“That's why I said that when you're slightly angry or frustrated, keep your mouth shut. Get away from it for a while, try taking deeper breaths. It's quite similar to handling pressure. If you can cut yourself from the result aspect, it helps. Your emotions shouldn't affect your decision-making,” he added.
MS Dhoni stepped down as CSK captain after winning the IPL 2023 and handed the reins over to Ruturaj Gaikwad. He was retained by CSK for INR 4 crores as an uncapped player before the IPL 2025.
