'No one is there to watch you bat or bowl, everyone is there to watch someone else' - Jimmy Neesham in awe of MS Dhoni's massive fan following

Senior New Zealand all-rounder Jimmy Neesham was in awe of the legendary MS Dhoni’s massive fan following despite him having retired from international cricket years ago. Dhoni was the special guest for the first T20I between India and the Kiwis at the JSCA International Stadium Complex in Ranchi on Friday, January 27.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni was invited for the occasion along with his better half Sakshi and as soon as the cameras zoomed at them, Dhoni obliged by waving to the passionate crowd who gave a rousing reception to their hometown hero from the stands. The 2011 World Cup-winning captain had also interacted with the players of the Indian team a day prior to the contest.

It's a great feeling actually: Jimmy Neesham

"It's a great feeling actually. You sort of feel, you can fly under the radar. No one is really there to watch you bat or bowl. Everyone is there to watch someone else. I always quite enjoyed it to be honest, coming to India knowing that the pressure will be on someone else,"  said Neesham while speaking during a post-match show on Star Sports.

Unfortunately for Dhoni and India, the players could not live up to the expectations on that particular night as they went down by 21 runs. The Indian batters had a forgettable outing with the bat despite chasing a manageable total of 177 runs.

The Indian bowlers who had kept things tight in the entire duration of the first innings lost the plot in the 20th over which also proved to be the turning point of the contest as the BlackCaps posted a competitive total of 176/6.

Left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh bowled a 27-run final over that saw him concede three successive sixes including a front foot no-ball.  The top-ranked T20I batter Suryakumar Yadav (47) and a valiant 28-ball 50 from Washington Sundar ignited the Indian hopes to a certain extent. Nonetheless, with no support from the other end, their knocks went in vain.

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