First ball of the 20th over. Yash Dayal attempts a yorker to MS Dhoni but he cannot control the wet ball and it turns into a low full toss down the leg-side. Dhoni uses his brute force to launch it high into the Bengaluru night sky for a monstrous 110m six that hits the roof of the M Chinnaswamy Stadium at fine leg.
The over started with Chennai Super Kings needing 35 runs to beat Royal Challengers Bengaluru in their final league match of IPL 2024. However, it was irrelevant.
The target in everyone’s sight was 201 which if scored would have kept CSK ahead of RCB in net run-rate column despite the defeat and seal their playoff spot.
Six of those 17 runs the title holders needed were wiped off when Dhoni launched that six off Dayal’s first delivery.
The replaced ball that changed the complexion of the game and sealed the fate of CSK. Had the ball not been replaced perhaps things would have been different but that’s the beauty of this lovely game of cricket. That’s why it’s said Cricket is a game of glorious uncertainties.— Makarand Waingankar (@wmakarand) May 19, 2024
Equation now a comfortable 11 off 5.
A wet ball, slow over-rate penalty – RCB desperately needed the rub of green.
The six from Dhoni’s bat saw the ball landing on the roof of the stadium and since it wasn’t retrievable, a replacement ball was reportedly used.
That was the last six of his career. Love you forever #MSdhoniThat was 110m sixer#MSDians pic.twitter.com/NEJT9X630K
— Shiva Kumar (@Dagam_offl) May 18, 2024
So far so good. Right?
For CSK, no but RCB, yes.
The reported replacement ball was dry meaning Dayal was able to control his deliveries better now. And it was the slice of luck that RCB needed which paid immediate rewards.
Dayal bowled a slower delivery to Dhoni up next and the former CSK captain launched it towards deep backward square leg region where Swapnil Singh was stationed to take the catch sending the RCB fans into a frenzy.
After conceding a six off the first delivery, Dayal’s next five resulted in a the massive wicket of Dhoni and just one run and CSK were kept to 191/7 – falling short of their secondary (or primary) target by 10 runs.
Right before the 20th over, CSK clobbered 18 runs in the over of Lockie Ferguson that included the RCB fast bowler bowling a high beamer to Dhoni.
However, in a cruel twist of fate, the six that CSK fans thought had all but sealed a last-four spot may have unwittingly resulted in their heartbreak.
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