MS Dhoni Apologised Instantly: Mitchell Santner Opens Up On Dhoni's Confrontation With Umpires In IPL 2019

One of the rare case scenarios in the world is witnessing an angry MS Dhoni. MS Dhoni is considered to be one of the calmest consumers on the cricket field. Hardly has someone ever seen him depicting his anger on the field. Over his 15-year long career span, there have been minimal instances when MS Dhoni has lost his cool.

One such instance took place in the 2019 edition of the Indian Premier League. In a game between Rajasthan Royals and Chennai Super Kings, MS Dhoni lost his cool when a no-ball confusion took place between the on-field umpires while CSK were chasing a mammoth target and the game went down to the wire.

MS Dhoni stormed away from the dugout to the ground when the no-ball call took place against CSK in the final over. Now, one of the on-field witnesses, Mitchell Santner has revealed that MS Dhoni immediately apologized after the incident.

Mitchell Santner Opens Up On MS Dhoni’s Clash With The Umpires In IPL 2019

Speaking to sports producer Rupha Ramani on Chennai Super Kings Instagram live session, Mitchell Santner said MS Dhoni apologised for his action after the thrilling win.

“I was probably as surprised as everyone. He (Dhoni) is so calm. But I think that shows you how committed he is to the team and how much of a family it is to him and how much it means to him to do something like that. It wasn’t anger, it was just one of the umpires just stuck his hand out and you can’t be going back,” Santner said.

“I guess, to end up winning it was a good thing. If we had lost it, there would have been more anger flowing around. It kind of shows you how it brought everyone together. We went on to win a few after that. Those kinds of games… if you get on the right side of the result… it can help you gain momentum moving forward. It wasn’t a perfect game but different people stepped up at different times,” Santner added.

“A little bit (talk after the game). I was out there. I obviously saw him out there. He was right next to the umpire. Obviously he knew he was not allowed to do that. He apologised straightaway. It might have flustered Stokes and gave me a good ball to hit. I am happy,” Mitchell Santner further said.

Speculations Intensify Over IPL 2020 Future

IPL 2020 was scheduled to start from March 29, but due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the BCCI postponed it until April 15. As the nationwide lockdown extended in India, BCCI suspended IPL 2020 Indefinitely. Now, with the situation worsening, it seems a huge possibility that IPL stands nothing but cancelled this year.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is now looking at the October-November window for the IPL. But the move can be possible only if the ICC decides to postpone the 2020 T20 World Cup that is to be held in October, this year, according to some sources in the board.

On April 10, latest reports suggested that the BCCI is probing into the July window to conduct the IPL and it could take place behind closed doors. However, all hopes have once again vanished as the BCCI has suspended the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 indefinitely in the light of the coronavirus pandemic. With COVID-19 victims toll rising in India, cricket returning to India seems a possibility far from reality.

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