There is a possibility that MS Dhoni, the captain of the Chennai Super Kings, could face a ban from participating in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 final. Previously, Dhoni received a fine for breaching the code of conduct due to a slow over-rate. Now, he potentially faces the risk of being banned from playing in the final, which is scheduled to take place at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Sunday, May 28.
In the Qualifier 1 match between GT and CSK, there was a four-minute delay due to an argument involving Dhoni and the umpires.
On Tuesday, the astute Mahendra Singh Dhoni led the Chennai Super Kings to yet another IPL final. Displaying his shrewd gamesmanship, Dhoni strategically utilized valuable minutes, enabling his lethal weapon Matheesha Pathirana to bowl the 16th over against the Gujarat Titans in the first IPL qualifier.
CSK emerged victorious against the defending champions, the Gujarat Titans, by a margin of 15 runs at their home ground, the MA Chidambaram Stadium. This win secured CSK’s qualification for a remarkable 10th final, solidifying their position as four-time champions. It was a significant triumph for CSK as they finally overcame the IPL 2022 winners after four encounters.
During the match, an incident occurred involving CSK bowler Matheesha Pathirana. Pathirana, who played a pivotal role by taking two crucial wickets, including those of Vijay Shankar and Mohammed Shami, was initially prevented from bowling his second spell during the death overs.
The reason behind this decision was Pathirana temporarily leaving the field in the second half of the chase to receive treatment for an undisclosed niggle. According to the IPL playing conditions, if a player leaves the field for more than eight minutes, they must spend an equivalent amount of time on the field after returning before they can resume bowling.
However, upon Pathirana’s return, Dhoni made the decision to have him bowl the 16th over, even though the Gujarat Titans required another 71 runs to win from just 30 balls, with their score lingering at 102 for six.
According to ESPN Cricinfo, Dhoni engaged in a conversation with umpire Chris Gaffaney while the commentators noted that Pathirana had been absent for approximately nine minutes. The on-field discussion revolved around whether Pathirana was eligible to bowl or not.
The report also mentioned that match officials informed Dhoni that Pathirana would need to wait for a little longer before resuming his bowling duties. Dhoni acknowledged the situation, but felt compelled to instruct Pathirana to bowl nonetheless.
These discussions consumed a total of 4 minutes, after which Pathirana was granted permission to bowl, with the acceptable waiting time of eight minutes having elapsed. Although Pathirana didn’t secure a wicket during that over, he did manage to claim one in his subsequent over.
