MS Dhoni, the captain of the Chennai Super Kings, may be barred from competing in the Indian Premier League (IPL) final in 2023. Dhoni was previously fined for violating the code of conduct by bowling at a slow rate, but he may now be barred from playing in the final at the Narendra Modi Stadium on May 28, Sunday.
Dhoni argued with the umpires during the GT vs CSK Qualifier 1 match, causing a four-minute delay.
The astute Mahendra Singh Dhoni not only led Chennai Super Kings to another IPL final on Tuesday, but his astute act of gamesmanship by eating valuable minutes allowed his lethal weapon Matheesha Pathirana to bowl the 16th over against Gujarat Titans in the first IPL qualifier.
CSK defeated the defending champions Gujarat Titans by 15 runs at their home ground, MA Chidambaram Stadium, to qualify for a record-extending tenth final, as the four-time champions finally defeated the IPL 2022 winners in four matches.
The incident occurred when CSK bowler Matheesha Pathirana was not allowed to bowl his second spell at the death despite returning 4-0-37-2 while dismissing the dangerous Vijay Shankar and Mohammed Shami.
Also read: CSK IPL Final Records
Pathirana had left the field in the second half of the chase to treat an unspecified ailment. According to the IPL rules, any player who leaves the field for more than eight minutes must return for a similar amount of time before being allowed to bowl.
When Pathirana returned, Dhoni asked him to bowl the 16th over, with Gujarat Titans needing another 71 runs from 30 balls after crawling to 102 for six.
According to ESPN Cricinfo, Dhoni then spoke with umpire Chris Gaffaney. Meanwhile, the commentary informed that the Sri Lankan had been out for nine minutes, and the debate on the field concerned whether Pathirana could bowl or not.
According to the report, Dhoni was informed by match officials that Pathirana would have to wait some more time before bowling. Dhoni then stated that he was aware of the situation, but that he had no choice but to ask Pathirana to bowl.