According to Salman Butt, the former captain of Pakistan, MS Dhoni distinguishes himself from others by his exceptional skill in managing his emotions during critical moments.
He highlighted the composure displayed by the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) captain, MS Dhoni, in a crucial moment during the IPL 2023 final against the Gujarat Titans (GT) on Monday (May 29). Despite the team requiring four runs from the last ball, Dhoni remained remarkably calm.
Butt also reminisced about an incident during the T20 World Cup in 2016, where MS Dhoni maintained his composure after running out Mustafizur Rahman, ultimately securing a thrilling one-run victory for India over Bangladesh.
Salman Butt on MS Dhoni
“When we talk about MS Dhoni, there was a World Cup match between India and Bangladesh a few years ago that went down all the way to the last ball. Hardik Pandya was bowling, and when he was running in, Dhoni had removed one glove and tucked it in his trousers. The plan was to bowl it outside the off stump, as the batter didn’t have a long reach. He collected the ball and sprinted towards the stumps. He beat the batter with his sprint and ran him out. After that when the whole team was jumping in the air, he stood there calmly. We saw something similar in the IPL final as well. Everyone was nervous ahead of the last ball. There was only one guy who was sitting silently. It is not like he doesn’t have any feelings but he is capable of controlling his emotions,” Butt said.
In the final showdown against GT, CSK found themselves in need of 10 runs from the last two deliveries to secure victory. However, it was Ravindra Jadeja who demonstrated remarkable composure in the face of pressure. With exceptional batting prowess, he struck a six and a four off Mohit Sharma’s bowling, propelling his team to a memorable triumph. In the rain-affected match, where the target was revised to 171, Chennai successfully chased it down and clinched a remarkable five-wicket victory, claiming the coveted title.
Salman Butt further emphasized the impact made by MS Dhoni through his wicketkeeping skills in the IPL 2023 final. Dhoni executed a remarkable stumping to dismiss the in-form Shubman Gill, which had a significant influence on the game. Butt also highlighted that Chennai’s fielding performance was subpar, with Gill receiving two lifelines due to dropped catches. However, it was Dhoni’s lightning-fast stumping that ultimately shifted the balance in favor of his team.
“The turning point of the match was Shubman Gill’s stumping. CSK powered their way back into the game, thanks to that stumping that took less than a second. That came at a time when the other players were struggling with fielding. Gill got two chances but it was the 41-year-old captain (MS Dhoni) who stumped him in a flash,” he said.
Gill posed a considerable threat to CSK’s chances by scoring a quickfire 39 runs off only 19 balls. However, his innings came to an end in the seventh over of the Gujarat innings when Dhoni swiftly removed the bails, executing a lightning-fast stump in a mere 0.12 seconds, leading to the dismissal of the opener.
