5 Shocking MS Dhoni On-Field and Off-Field Controversies

Mahendra Singh Dhoni, an iconic name in the history of Indian cricket, is one of the best captains of all time in the sport. He was known for having a cool demeanour on the field and also having the ability to hold his nerve to win matches in pressure situations.

It was under Dhoni that India won the titles in the 2007 T20 World Cup, 2011 ODI World Cup and 2013 Champions Trophy. And to this day, he is the only captain to have won the three major ICC trophies. He also led the side to the semifinals in the 2015 World Cup and 2016 T20 World Cup. 

Dhoni had a reputation for being a clinical finisher with the bat in the backend of the innings to win the matches for the team on his own. However, being one of the most popular athletes in the country, he also had to deal with controversies from time time, be it on or off the field.

Here are the top five biggest controversies of MS Dhoni:

5. Walking onto the field during play

It was during Match 25 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2019 between Rajasthan Royals (RR) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) when the ‘captain cool’ lost his cool. CSK, chasing a target of 152, needed 8 runs off three balls. It was Ben Stokes with the ball for RR and Mitchell Santner for CSK with the bat.

Stokes bowled a slow dipping full-toss, to which Santner played early, misjudging the pace of the ball. As the ball looped high in the air off Stokes’s hand, the umpire immediately raised his arm to indicate a no-ball. Upon realising that it was not called by the square-leg umpire, the straight umpire retrieved his arm to reverse the decision.

CSK captain MS Dhoni, who was on the sidelines, walked onto the field fuming to have a chat with the umpires about the decision. This act from the former Indian cricketer was criticised by fans and former players, as it is unheard of from the dugout to enter the field during the play.