Dhoni deserves two-match ban for storming onto the pitch: Virender Sehwag

In a rare sight on Thursday, Dhoni lost his cool after the onfield umpire Ulhas Gandhe deemed a no-ball decision incorrectly.

MS Dhoni did something very un-MSD recently during an Indian Premier League (IPL 2019) match when his side Chennai Super Kings (CSK) squared off against Rajasthan Royals (RR).

In a rare sight on Thursday, Dhoni lost his cool after the onfield umpire Ulhas Gandhe deemed a no-ball decision incorrectly.

The incident took place during the last over the match – the innings’ third last ball – when Gandhe had tried to rule a waist high full toss as no ball by RR allrounder Ben Stokes, but he reversed his decision after square leg umpire Bruce Oxenford did not signal for it.

Both the on-field batsmen, Mitchell Santner and Ravindra Jadeja, confronted with the umpires which made Dhoni furiously walk out from the dugout and stormed onto the pitch and get into a heated argument with the on-field umpires. (ALSO READ: ‘Opposition captain has no right to walk out on the pitch after being dismissed’)

Dhoni’s ridiculous gesture drew criticism from various quarters, including former India opener Virender Sehwag, who reckons that the former India captain should be banned for two matches. (ALSO READ: ‘India-Pakistan cricket match is nothing less than a war and we should win the war, not lose it’)

“So @virendersehwag has just said on @cricbuzz that MS Dhoni should have been given a 2 game ban for storming onto the pitch,” ex-England captain Michael Vaughan, on the expert panel for a leading cricket website, tweeted on Saturday.

So @virendersehwag has just said on @cricbuzz that MS Dhoni should have been given a 2 game ban for storming onto the pitch .. I couldn’t agree more .. it’s exactly what should have happened to send a message to all players that what he did was totally unacceptable !! #IPL2019

— Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) April 13, 2019

“I couldn’t agree more .. it’s exactly what should have happened to send a message to all players that what he did was totally unacceptable !! #IPL2019”

Former India captain Bishan Singh Bedi too had lashed out at Dhoni’s behaviour and said that nobody is bigger than the game of cricket. (ALSO READ: Bruce Oxenford not offended by MS Dhoni: Sources)

“Crkt was never meant to ‘look’ ugly-never mind if laws o the game are not trespassed-but certain ‘behavioural’ patterns r tantamount 2 bringing disrepute 2 game..nobody was ever bigger than the game which demands highest form of exemplary discipline frm players/officials alike!,” Bedi tweeted.

Crkt was never meant to ‘look’ ugly-never mind if laws o the game are not trespassed-but certain ‘behavioural’ patterns r tantamount 2 bringing disrepute 2 game..nobody was ever bigger than the game which demands highest form of exemplary discipline frm players/officials alike!

— Bishan Bedi (@BishanBedi) April 12, 2019

“Am aghast w/media calls on Dhoni’s invasion o field as most immature protest against Umpires last night..puzzles me no end why sport scribes r petrified o honest expression against erring established stars..why even authorities are shamelessly timid-50% fine is kid-gloving MSD.!,” he wrote on the micro-blogging site.

Am aghast w/media calls on Dhoni’s invasion o field as most immature protest against Umpires last night..puzzles me no end why sport scribes r petrified o honest expression against erring established stars..why even authorities are shamelessly timid-50% fine is kid-gloving MSD.!

— Bishan Bedi (@BishanBedi) April 12, 2019

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) next face Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the Eden Gardens on Sunday. The match begins at 4pm IST.