IPL 2022: MS Dhoni wins hearts of fans, commentators with call for third-umpire referral after taking ambiguous catch

Former Chennai Super Kings (CSK) captain MS Dhoni has won the hearts of fans with his batting, his wicketkeeping, his captaincy and now with his “honesty”.

The Indian cricket legend had a memorable outing against Punjab Kings on Sunday. The 40-year-old wicketkeeper absolutely shows no signs of slowing down any time soon. Playing his 350th T20 game, Dhoni inflicted a Jonty Rhodes-like run-out as he went flying on the stumps to dismiss Bhanuka Rajapaksa.

A mix-up between Rajapaksa and Shikhar Dhawan led to the former’s departure, and Dhoni was all over the internet for his herculean fielding effort.

A few minutes later, his name was circulating for a completely different reason. It’s no secret that Dhoni has been one of the most loved players, and the former Chennai Super Kings skipper garnered praise for signalling the umpire about his catch not being a clean one.

It was in the eighth over of the game when Dwaine Pretorius delivered a length ball down the leg side to Liam Livingstone. The England batter looked to glance it down to fine leg, but got a thick outside edge and Dhoni, who shuffled across and made a full-length dive, grabbed it with both hands.

However, the legendary wicketkeeper was unsure of his own efforts and before the umpire could make a decision he urged the square-leg umpire to refer it upstairs.

The video replay showed that while Dhoni it grab the ball in the air, but since it got stuck in the fingertips of the gloves, it touched the ground after the CSK keeper completed the dive. Livingstone, who was then en route to his half-century, was given a lifeline.

Even though Dhoni failed to complete the dismissal, he won hearts of fans on Twitter and in the commentary box as former New Zealand cricketer Simon Doull was heard hailing the former CSK captain for his “honesty”.

Earlier in the game, Dhoni completed a stunning run out of Bhanuka Rajapaksa in the second over of the match. Defying age with his incredible athleticism and quick reflexes, Dhoni ran in fast to collect Chris Jordan’s throw and dislodge the bails with an under-arm effort from a distance.

Dhoni was playing a milestone game against Punjab Kings on Sunday as it was his 350th game in T20 cricket. He became only the second Indian cricketer to join the elite list and 19th overall.