SK Flashback: MS Dhoni smashes 23 runs off the last over to seal unbelievable chase

On this day last year, MS Dhoni produced one of the most remarkable knocks in Indian Premier League (IPL) history. Leading Rising Pune Supergiants (before they removed the ‘s’ from their name), the iconic wicket-keeper batsman plundered 23 runs off the last over to outclass Kings XI Punjab at the Dr YS Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam.

The unfortunate bowler at the receiving end was Axar Patel. When skipper Murali Vijay threw the ball to him, the left-arm spinner would not have anticipated the kind of damage he was about to endure in the pressure-ridden final over. A supremely confident Dhoni smashed 16 runs from the last three deliveries to pull the rug from under Punjab’s feet. Let us take a look at how the events unfolded in the memorable game that decided who avoided the wooden spoon finish.

After winning the toss, Kings XI opted to bat first. Riding on the solid opening combination of Vijay and Hashim Amla, they got off to a strong start. Once the foundation was set, Gurkeerat Singh Mann hammered a 30-ball half-century inclusive of three sixes and as many boundaries to propel the total to 172.

While Ajinkya Rahane looked threatening for the short duration he lasted, Sandeep Sharma accounted for him in a serendipitous manner. Usman Khawaja laboured to a 29-ball 30 before leaving Pune in a state of disarray. When Irfan Pathan fell, the writing seemed to be on the wall for them. At 86/5 from 13.2 overs, the chase was in danger of being derailed.

However, Dhoni joined hands with the explosive Thisara Perera to breathe some life back into the contest. The duo put on 58 runs from 29 deliveries and kept the opposition on their toes. When the left-hander perished, the newly acquired momentum appeared to be stalling. Ravichandran Ashwin walked into the middle as the equation came down to 23 runs from the final over.

The exhilarating final over

Dhoni showed his immense experience and unflappable temperament under pressure

Even though he had conceded 16 runs from his previous over, South African pacer Kyle Abbott would have been the conventional option to deliver the decisive six balls. But captain Vijay decided to think out of the box and handed the responsibility to Patel. Relying on a spinner during such a precarious position was quite risky especially considering the strength of the batsman at the other end of the spectrum.

The left-arm spinner began on a promising note. Operating from a flatter trajectory, he did not give any room for the batsman to work with. The next one went horribly wrong as the dew prevented him from gripping the ball adequately. Still, the damage done was limited to a wide and Kings XI had a copious amount of runs in the bag.

Upon trying to find the block hole, Axar strayed into Dhoni’s hitting zone and consequently paid the price. He sent the ball sailing into the long-on stands. The third delivery might have gone for a boundary if not for Amla’s sprawling dive. Rather reluctant to let go of the strike, he played it safe and did not try to push for a double. What could have been two runs turned out to be a dot ball.

Dhoni had triumphed in a similar situation (when 15 runs were needed from the last over) for India against Sri Lanka during a tri-series final in 2013. But in this case, there was no room for any more let-ups. With 16 runs required off the last three deliveries, every single one of them had to disappear into the boundary or beyond. The odds were truly stacked against the batsman.

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However, what followed was scarcely believable. A poor ball from Axar was met with disdain. A bit more on the shot could have even converted it into a six. Nevertheless, the case came down to two sixes off as many deliveries. Nothing less would suffice for Pune.

Targeting his favourite deep mid-wicket region, the right-hander flexed his muscles and creamed the penultimate delivery for a maximum. Ahead of the final ball of the match, a dog entered the field to add to the drama. Axar looked to bring in a fresh sense of perspective by switching to over the wicket.

But the outcome did not change. The powerful bottom hand of the popular showman ensured that the fuller delivery ended up in the stands and RPS brought their disappointing campaign to a close with a euphoric four-wicket victory. The seasoned finisher had nonchalantly completed another one of his countless heists.

At the end of the thrilling encounter, Dhoni mused, “It was a fantastic game. If we were alive, this is the kind of game you wanted to win to get into the knockouts.” Even if RPS were not ‘alive’ at that point in the season, the experienced campaigner’s last over heroics managed to send those witnessing into a state of frenzy.