© IE Online Media Services Pvt Ltd
Tags:
Journalism of Courage
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) finally broke their long-standing losing streak against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in Chennai, securing a commanding 50-run victory after 17 years. Rajat Patidar led the charge for RCB, delivering a match-winning performance. However, despite RCB’s historic win, it was MS Dhoni who became the center of attention on the Internet.
The buzz wasn’t just about his performance but rather his surprising decision to bat at number nine, coming in after Ravindra Jadeja and even R Ashwin. Fans and cricket pundits have often urged Dhoni to move up the order and play at least five-six overs to unleash his power-hitting, but once again, that didn’t happen. Instead, CSK’s former skipper walked out to bat when the match was almost out of reach, leading to a meme fest online.
Former Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan also weighed in, saying, “I will never be in favour of Dhoni batting at number 9. Not ideal for team.”
https://twitter.com/IrfanPathan/status/1905668579560931769
Meanwhile, social media was flooded with hilarious reactions. One fan shared a meme from the popular show Panchayat with a caption mocking how Dhoni kept sending other CSK batsmen ahead of him.
https://twitter.com/HaramiParindey/status/1905676630736949284
Another user said, “MS Dhoni comes to bat only in two situations – 1. when the match is already lost. 2. when they are already winning.”
https://twitter.com/avgphoenixguy/status/1905667278240448627
https://twitter.com/sagarcasm/status/1905670347791442171
https://twitter.com/sagarcasm/status/1905675066408669425
https://twitter.com/sagarcasm/status/1905673264430829658
https://twitter.com/Being_Humor/status/1905667888645898369
https://twitter.com/Loyalsachfan10/status/1905678997012541652
Despite the memes, Dhoni still managed to entertain, smashing 30 runs off 16 balls at a decent strike rate. But by the time he started finding the boundaries, the game had already slipped away from CSK’s hands.
That wasn’t the only Dhoni moment that caught everyone’s eye. His lightning-fast stumping of Phil Salt left fans in awe, following up on his similar dismissal of Suryakumar Yadav in the previous match. With reaction times quicker than a blink, Dhoni once again proved why he is still one of the sharpest minds behind the stumps.
https://twitter.com/CricCrazyJohns/status/1905634274172363085
As for the IPL standings, RCB now sits at the top of the table after back-to-back away wins against defending champions KKR and five-time winners CSK. They will return home to face Gujarat Titans on April 2nd. Meanwhile, CSK, who started their campaign with a win over MI, now finds themselves at the seventh spot after this defeat.
