Karthik played it safe
The beauty of IPL is for 45 days, cricket fans get ample supply of drama, excitement and high quality cricket. Thursday's group league match between defending champions Chennai Super Kings and former winner Rajasthan Royals lived up to the hype with CSK again pulling off the great heist from a seemingly hopelessly situation. The comeback was lead by Rayadu and Dhoni. But years from now, the match will be remembered for the time, MS Dhoni lost his cool. In close to one and half decades of his life as an international cricketer, for the first time, Dhoni did the unthinkable. He entered the ground while the match was going on to inquire about a decision when a ball originally called no-ball was changed to a legitimate delivery.
Here's the video of MS Dhoni completely losing his composure.
While CSK finally won the match, and MS Dhoni for his stellar batting got the Man of the Match, all cricket fans wanted to know was why did Captain Cool lose his composure and what did he say to umpires when he entered the field breaching cricketing laws. He was also find 50% of match fees for that. But what we got was former Indian player Murali Karthik asking him everything except about the most controversial topic under the sun. Even when Dhoni gave him a prompt to ask about the incident, Karthik played defensive, quite like his bowling style back in the yore. Obviously, Twitter was livid and lashed out at the stylish ex-cricketer. One wonders whether Karthik was acting on some instructions or it was merely an act of playing it safe.
1. How Twitter reacted?
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Dhoni gets the ball replaced as many times he wants.
— Aditya (@forwardshortleg) April 11, 2019
Dhoni gets a water break whenever he wants.
Dhoni gets the physio on the field whenever he wants.
Dhoni walks onto the field to argue with the umpires whenever he wants.
Umpires don't have the guts to say NO to Dhoni.
Dhoni even offered to speak about the incident but Murali Karthik being the great anchor that he is, decides to completely sidestep the issue. Where is Bish when you need him? #RRvCSK https://t.co/JMyH1BwuhL
— Abhi Ramanathan (@AbhiRamanathan) April 12, 2019
Murali Karthik didn’t ask any question about Dhoni’s outburst against the umpires even when Dhoni offered to talk about it. What a waste of opportunity. Or maybe he didn’t want another ‘nothing more to add’ episode which cost Harsha dearly. Needed Naseer or Atherton. #RRvCSK
— The Goan Patiala (@TheGoanPatiala) April 11, 2019
What, no question to MSD on his stroll on to the field to argue with the umpires, even after he himself brought it up wryly?? Murali Karthik botched his job so very royally!
— bhaatmaarna (@bhaatmaarna) April 11, 2019
And to conclude it , the most absurd post match presentation I have ever seen. The submissive Murali Karthik doesn't even touch the incident . Commentary is an art , unfortunately in India we have only voice lenders at present.
— Anish Ancil (@anishancil) April 11, 2019
Fine Dhoni for walking into the field. And someone fine Murali Karthik as well for not talking about this incident. What is this? Post-wedding discussion? Even in that people talk about critical things.
— Silly Point (@FarziCricketer) April 11, 2019
My thoughts as well. Murali Karthik shud have asked Dhoni about this! He was looking like a Fanboy there https://t.co/rcN4dN1u8x
— श्रीराम Sundararajan (@Sriram_CEGian) April 11, 2019
2. What happened in the post-match ceremony
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"You again took the game deep?" asked Karthik and Dhoni wittily replied:"By being there at the end do you mean having a conversation with the umpires?" There was no follow-up questions after that.
One surely missed the no-nonsense commentators who could speak truth to the power.
3. Some remembered the Harsha Bhogle saga
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Harsha Bhogle faced fire from MS Dhoni over criticising the Indian team during the ICC T20 World Cup in 2016. He reportedly also landed in the wrong side of Virat Kohli. Bhogle didn't get from the official broadcaster for a long time after that and many believed his altercation with top players had something to do with it. So many Twitter users wondered if Karthik erred in the side of caution by not asking anything controversial to Dhoni.
However, when Dhoni himself sort of prompted the question, Karthik still not asking about it was completely bizarre. CSK coach Fleming in post match presser said that Dhoni had gone there to seek clarity about the situation.
