MS Dhoni recalled an incident from IPL 2019, when he stormed into the field after a controversial decision from umpire Bruce Oxenford.
It was the 2019 edition of the Indian Premier League, and the stakes were high as Chennai Super Kings took on the Rajasthan Royals in a group match in Jaipur. The match saw a thrilling finish, but during the final over of the game, then-CSK captain MS Dhoni found himself at the center of a major controversy.
MS Dhoni argues with on-field umpires during IPL 2019(IPL)
Chasing 18 runs in the final over, CSK lost Dhoni on the third ball, leaving Ravindra Jadeja and Mitchell Santner to finish the job. On the fourth delivery, Ben Stokes bowled a waist-high full toss, which the on-field umpire Ullas Gandhe initially signaled as a no-ball. However, square-leg umpire Bruce Oxenford overruled the call, leading to confusion and frustration in the CSK camp.
Dhoni, visibly furious, walked onto the field from the dugout to confront the umpires, an extremely rare act for a captain. Despite his animated protest, the officials stood by their revised decision, ruling the delivery legal.
The incident overshadowed the thrilling finish, but Santner’s last-ball six ensured CSK secured victory. Dhoni was later fined 50 percent of his match fee for breaching the IPL Code of Conduct, making it one of the most controversial moments of 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.”
Dhoni set for return
Dhoni is no longer the captain of CSK but continues to play an important leadership role, and will return to action in the 2025 edition of the tournament. The Super Kings, now led by Ruturaj Gaikwad, will begin their campaign in the season against arch-rivals Mumbai Indians on March 23.
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