"Don't do that in a team game" - Irfan Pathan on MS Dhoni not giving strike to Daryl Mitchell in CSK's IPL 2024 loss to PBKS

Irfan Pathan has questioned MS Dhoni for refraining from giving the strike to Daryl Mitchell in the Chennai Super Kings' (CSK) IPL 2024 clash against the Punjab Kings (PBKS).

Dhoni scored 14 runs off 11 deliveries as CSK set PBKS a 163-run target in Chennai on Wednesday, May 1. The visitors chased the target down with seven wickets and 13 deliveries to spare to climb into seventh position on the points table.

During a discussion on Star Sports, Pathan was asked about his thoughts on Dhoni's knock, including his first six at Chepauk this season. While noting that the former CSK skipper could have done better, the cricketer-turned-commentator criticized his decision to refuse a single while playing with Mitchell.

"You will definitely talk about the six since MS Dhoni has a huge fan following. People love him a lot. However, the sort of knock he played, more was expected from him," he said.

"He shouldn't have done that (refusing a single). This is a team game. Don't do that in a team game. The other guy is also an international player. If he had been a bowler, I would have understood it for sure. You have done that with (Ravindra) Jadeja and with Mitchell as well. You don't need to do that. He could have avoided it," Pathan added.

Dhoni hit the third ball of the final over bowled by Arshdeep Singh to long-off. He asked Mitchell to return to the non-striker's end after the New Zealand batter had reached the striker's end for a single. Dhoni then hit a six off the penultimate ball and was dismissed run-out while trying to take a second run off the final delivery.

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"Curran getting a spinner to bowl the 19th over was a masterstroke" - Irfan Pathan praises PBKS' tactics against MS Dhoni

Rahul Chahar bowled the 19th over of CSK's innings. [P/C: iplt20.com]

Irfan Pathan termed Sam Curran's decision to give the 19th over to Rahul Chahar when MS Dhoni was at the crease a masterstroke.

"Curran getting a spinner to bowl the 19th over was a masterstroke because considering the form MS Dhoni is in, he could have taken the game way forward in those two overs. He could have scored 30 runs in two overs but they didn't allow him to do that," he reasoned.

While praising Arshdeep Singh for bowling a decent final over, the former India all-rounder opined that Dhoni doesn't bat up the order because of his recent issues against spin.

"You bowled to him with excellent planning. Although a six was hit for sure in Arshdeep's over, he also bowled well. He (Dhoni) has been unable to score runs against spinners in the last few years, which is why he is bringing himself down the order. He is scoring runs in the last over when the fast bowlers are thinking of bowling yorkers," Pathan observed.

Dhoni scored only two runs off the four deliveries he faced from Rahul Chahar in the 19th over. The leg-spinner also dismissed Moeen Ali in the same over, with Daryl Mitchell managing just a single off the only ball he faced.