Here’s why MS Dhoni’s eyes were ‘Closed’ before and after Jadeja’s Final Ball Knock

By
Pramod Hegde
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When cameras turned towards Dhoni, who was sitting in the CSK dugout with his eyes closed just before Jadeja faced the final ball, the frame froze. Here’s why the former Indian captain showed no emotions even though his team was winning.

Dhoni was nervous before the last ball?

The IPL 2023 final between Gujarat Titans and Chennai Super Kings was dominated by MS Dhoni. To some extent, the entire tournament was. After all, it was touted as Dhoni’s farewell Tournament. The perfect ending to a fairytale career filled with moments of brilliance that few have seen.

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The Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad erupted when CSK needed four runs off the last ball and Ravindra Jadeja clipped a full toss off his pads for a boundary. Jadeja took off running, arms in the air, with no particular destination in mind. Yes, CSK had won their 5th IPL Title.

Was Dhoni nervous as the final ball was about to be bowled on Monday? Photos of Dhoni sitting with his eyes closed in the dugout that has gone viral tell a different story. Yes, Dhoni did have his eyes closed during the final phase of the match, but when exactly is debatable.

A close examination of the available footage reveals that the frame froze for a split second when cameras panned towards Dhoni, who was sitting in the CSK dugout with his eyes closed, just before Mohit Sharma hit the top of his mark. The same eyes-closed frame was used twice more: when Mohit began his run-up and again when Jadeja hit the winning runs.

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It is unclear whether it was a technical error or if the footage that went viral was edited, but one thing is certain: the frame froze for just a moment when Dhoni had his eyes closed in the final over. And it was most likely before the last ball was bowled and after Jadeja hit the winning runs.

After that, Dhoni rose from his seat, his face expressionless, and hugged the remaining CSK support staff in the dugout. He was also seen hugging and lifting Jadeja as the all-rounder charged towards his captain. It was an amazing sight to behold.

The post-match interactions

MS Dhoni is a man of few words but many expressions, at least in post-match interactions. Since deciding not to attend press conferences before or after a match, the only time Dhoni can be heard speaking serious cricket is at the toss or to the broadcasters after the game.

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“You do get emotional for the simple fact that it is the last part of my career. It started over here and when I was playing in the first game, I just walked around and the full house was chanting my name, my eyes (got) filled with water and I just stood there in the dugout for a while. I took my time and then I realized, I want to enjoy it. The same thing happened in Chennai. It was my last game there but it will be good to come back and play whatever I can,” Dhoni said when Harsha Bhogle asked about him being emotional.

Dhoni also spoke about the brand of cricket that CSK plays under him. “The kind of cricket I play, they feel they can play that cricket. There’s nothing orthodox about it and I like to keep it simple. I think every trophy or bilateral series you win, has its own challenges. When it comes to the crunch, you need to have your individuals ready. The amount of pressure every individual can deal with is different. We tried to do that,” he said.

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