Jaipur: Chennai Super Kings captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni escaped a ban and was let off with a 50 per cent fine on his match fee for an unprecedented confrontation with the on-field umpires during the IPL encounter against Rajasthan Royals.
In a rare instance, Dhoni, who was not even meant to be on the field of play, lost his cool and rushed out of the dug-out to challenge umpire Ulhas Gandhe after he flip-flopped on a no ball on Thursday night.
“MS Dhoni, the Chennai Super Kings captain, was fined 50 percent of his match fees for breaching the VIVO Indian Premier League’s (IPL) Code of Conduct during his team’s match against Rajasthan Royals at Jaipur,” the BCCI stated.
Gandhe had tried to rule a waist high full toss as no ball by RR all-rounder Ben Stokes. But he reversed his decision after square leg umpire Bruce Oxenford did not signal for it.
“Dhoni admitted to the Level 2 offence 2.20 of the IPL’s Code of Conduct and accepted the sanction,” it further stated.
As is the case with IPL teams, it’s the franchise that will pay the fine on the player’s behalf.
Meanwhile, former cricketers came down heavily on Mahendra Singh Dhoni for his on-field argument with umpires, saying the Chennai Super Kings skipper set a wrong precedent with his “bizarre and unbelievable” conduct during the IPL game here.
Revered for his ‘captain cool’ demeanour, Dhoni uncharacteristically lost his composure and rushed out of the dug-out to challenge umpire Ulhas Gandhe following his no-ball flip-flop during an IPL match against Rajasthan Royals Thursday night. Former England captain Michael Vaughan, and ex-Australian cricketers Mark Waugh, Michael Slater and Shaun Tait criticised the CSK skipper for his conduct. (PTI)