In a thrilling knockout match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) faced off against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) with high stakes. Despite MS Dhoni’s renowned reputation as a finisher, he couldn’t lead CSK to victory in this critical encounter.
Chasing a challenging target, CSK required 17 runs from the final over, with MS Dhoni at the crease against RCB’s Yash Dayal. The experienced wicket-keeper batsman began the over in spectacular fashion, smashing the first ball for a massive six, reducing the target to just 11 runs from the remaining five deliveries. However, this seemingly advantageous start turned out to be a turning point in the match.
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In a post-match video shared by RCB on social media, RCB’s Dinesh Karthik revealed a crucial detail that influenced the game’s outcome. According to Karthik, Dhoni’s six resulted in the ball being lost, which led the officials to provide a new one to the bowling side.
“MS Dhoni hitting that 110M six outside the Chinnaswamy was the best thing that happened, it gave us a new ball which helped us,” Karthik explained in the video.
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This change of ball had a significant impact due to the prevailing dew on the field. The old ball had become quite wet, making it difficult for the bowlers to maintain control. However, with the introduction of a dry, new ball, Yash Dayal found his rhythm. On the second delivery of the over, Dayal managed to get MS Dhoni out, caught by Swapnil Singh, dealing a severe blow to CSK’s hopes.
Dayal’s excellent control with the new ball continued as he bowled four more deliveries, yielding just a single run and three dot balls. His disciplined performance sealed a 27-run victory for RCB, ensuring their qualification for the playoffs. Conversely, CSK’s campaign came to an abrupt end with this defeat.
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Virat Kohli also acknowledged the pivotal role of the new ball in RCB’s triumph, echoing Karthik’s sentiments about the significant advantage it provided. The unexpected twist brought by MS Dhoni’s towering six and the subsequent ball change turned the tide in favor of RCB in this high-stakes encounter.