During the ongoing IPL 2023, the Chennai Super Kings had initially secured their position at the top of the points table. However, their fortunes took a turn for the worse with consecutive defeats against the Rajasthan Royals and Punjab Kings, followed by a rain-abandoned match against the Lucknow Super Giants.
On Saturday, Chennai faced their arch-rivals, the Mumbai Indians, in a bid to end their winless streak and reclaim their position at the top of the table. Playing at home and against familiar opponents, Chennai had to rely on their strengths and the magic of their captain, MS Dhoni, to turn their fortunes around.
Winning the toss and opting to bowl first, Chennai made a staggering start to the match, with Mumbai losing three wickets in the first three overs. The standout moment of the match was the dismissal of Mumbai's skipper, Rohit Sharma, who incurred his second consecutive duck in IPL 2023, thanks to Dhoni's masterful tactics.
In the third over of the match, Dhoni played some mind games with Rohit, setting up a field with a backward point, short third, and a slip, while Deepak Chahar bowled a slower delivery. Rohit attempted to play a lap shot over short fine leg but mistimed it, resulting in the ball taking the outside edge, clipping his thumb, and lobbing towards the gully region. Ravindra Jadeja, stationed at backward point, ran in comfortably and completed the catch.
Watch:
Chahar was elated and pointed towards Dhoni, acknowledging his role in the dismissal. The commentators on air were left flabbergasted at how Rohit fell into the trap.
Rohit's recent performance in the IPL has been less than stellar. He has been dismissed for a duck for the second consecutive time, following a similar outcome in the previous match against Punjab Kings. In fact, his last four scores have been 2, 3, 0, and 0, which is a cause for concern.
Furthermore, this latest duck marks the 16th time that Rohit has been dismissed for a duck in the IPL, making him the batter with the most ducks in the tournament's history.
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