MS Dhoni namedropped as former CSK pacer accepts spot-fixing like activity in IPL 2025

Former Chennai Super Kings (CSK) pacer Tushar Deshpande opened up about bowling to legendary batter MS Dhoni, recalling the “butterflies in his stomach.” The 30-year-old admitted he was eager to impress Dhoni and gain confidence, adding that the wicketkeeper-batter is the best finisher in the world.

Deshpande had to bowl against MS Dhoni and CSK’s Shivam Dube during the Rajasthan Royals (RR) final match of the season. He conceded only six runs in the penultimate over on a flat Delhi pitch. The pacer bowled three deliveries to Dhoni. Notably, it was his first official encounter against the legendary finisher.

It's Always Pressure Bowling to MS Dhoni - Tushar Deshpande

Tushar Deshpande admitted that he was eager to impress MS Dhoni when asked to bowl against him in the match between the Rajasthan Royals and the Chennai Super Kings. He said that he felt the pressure of bowling to MS Dhoni, the best finisher in the world.

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"[Got] a lot of confidence from that over. It's always pressure bowling to Mahi bhai because he's the best finisher in the world. I was kind of trying to impress him and just wanted to bowl my best ball to him. Before last season, I had never bowled to him in an official game," Deshpande said on ESPNCricinfo.

The right-arm pacer played for the Super Kings from 2022 to 2024. He was signed by the Royals in the IPL 2025 mega auction for Rs 6.50 crore. However, he struggled to make an impact during the season, finishing with just nine wickets in 10 matches at an average of 43.33 and an economy rate of 10.63.

The IPL Is a High-Pressure Environment - Tushar Deshpande

Deshpande said that the Impact Player rule makes it unfair to assess a bowler based on a single performance. He noted that bowling in the power play and at the death presents some of the toughest challenges in the game.

"The IPL is a high-pressure environment, and the way after the Impact Player where the game is going, you cannot judge a bowler by a single game or the runs he gives or the wickets he picks. I always bowled in the powerplay and the death. Those are the tough situations of the game," Deshpande added.

It Was Very Important for Me to Be... - Tushar Deshpande

Tushar Deshpande also said that he enjoyed success at the Super Kings. Deshpande added that while he had been CSK’s top wicket-taker in both IPL 2023 and 2024, bowlers cannot be too hard on themselves, as even well-executed deliveries can sometimes concede runs.

"And some or the other game will go my way or the batsman's way. So it was very important for me to be level-headed because earlier for CSK [Chennai Super Kings] I was the highest wicket-taker [17 in IPL 2024]. A year before that also I was the highest wicket-taker for CSK [21 in IPL 2023]. Bowlers can't be a lot harder on themselves because even good balls are going for runs," he added.

Also read: Watch: Babar Azam turns MS Dhoni, gets forcefully kissed by fan after running away in big security breach