'Umpires laughing over the incident rather than taking control' - ex Aussie star critical of MS Dhoni's time-wasting tactics

The CSK legend was accused of wasting time to ensure he could get the desired bowler on even as the rules required this cricketer to stay off the mark. 
 
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MS Dhoni maybe known for playing it fair, but an incident from IPL 2023 Qualifier 1 played on Tuesday (May 23) night in Chennai has raised scrutiny on the legend for time-wasting tactics. The Chennai Super Kings (CSK) skipper fell under the scanner for a dramatic episode during the marquee clash with defending champions Gujarat Titans (GT) during the 16th over. 

The incident saw Dhoni delaying his chat with the two standing umpires to such extent that he could go through the time that his lead quick Matheesha Pathirana was required to stay off the bowling for being outside the field for a while earlier on. 

The two umpires had denied the CSK captain the opportunity to bowl Pathirana for that over in the Titans' run-chase. But the animated discussion went well over four minutes, the duration for which the bowler was supposed to stay away from rolling his arms over. It came across as a deliberate attempt to manipulate the rules in CSK's favour. 

Prominent experts accused MS Dhoni of wasting time to ensure Pathirana could ultimately start off the 16th over when easily another bowler could've gone through the stride at the time and the match would've progressed seamlessly.

Hogg critical of MS Dhoni amidst claims of 'time-wasting tactics'

Taking to Twitter, former Australia wristspinner Brad Hogg lashed out at MS Dhoni and CSK for indulging in 'time-wasting' tactics to keep their plans in order, even as the rule required Pathirana to wait for his turn to bowl. 

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Hogg also called out the officials for discussing the matter too long with Dhoni rather than holding tight on their stance and ensuring the CSK captain abides by the regulation in play.

The ex left-arm tweaker was particularly unimpressed at the sight of umpires laughing while taking to Dhoni on the matter. 


Ultimately, Pathirana did bowl the 16th over of the game and gave away 13 off his six balls, including a six hit by Rashid Khan. CSK recorded an impressive win by 15 runs to seal their spot in the final scheduled in Ahmedabad on May 28.