IPL 2020: 3 players who have dismissed MS Dhoni for a duck in tournament history
Mahendra Singh Dhoni has been one of the most successful players in the Indian Premier League (IPL). The wicket-keeper batsman from Ranchi has been a part of two IPL franchises - the Chennai Super Kings and the Rising Pune Supergiant.
MS Dhoni has mostly played for the Chennai-based franchise. He holds the record for being the most capped player in IPL history, with a majority of his appearances coming for CSK.
MS Dhoni's marvelous IPL record
MS Dhoni has aggregated 4,544 runs in 176 IPL innings at a magnificent average of 42.07. The right-handed batsman has a strike rate of 137.70, with 23 half-centuries in the tournament to his name as well.
The highlight of his statistics is that MS Dhoni has got out for a duck only thrice in his storied IPL career. Given that he has played 197 IPL games so far, his duck/games ratio is commendable.
Here are the three players who can brag about dismissing MS Dhoni for a duck in the IPL.
3. Shane Watson
Former Australian T20 captain Shane Watson was the first man to send MS Dhoni back to the pavilion before he could open his account in an IPL inning. Watson was a part of the Rajasthan Royals in the first eight seasons of the IPL.
During the 2010 IPL fixture between CSK and RR at Chepauk, Murali Vijay (127) and Albie Morkel (62) blew away the visitors' bowling attack with their big hits. However, both batsmen lost their wickets in the closing phase of the innings.
MS Dhoni came out to bat at number five and attempted to attack Watson on the first ball. Unfortunately, the ball went straight into the hands of the fielder Sumit Narwal. Nevertheless, CSK still won that encounter by 23 runs.
2. Dirk Nannes
Another Australian player to feature on this elite list is Dirk Nannes. The left-arm fast bowler achieved this feat during the 2010 season itself. It is noteworthy that MS Dhoni had not recorded a duck in the first two editions of the IPL, but lost his wicket for zero twice in the third season.
Speaking of MS Dhoni's second duck, the CSK captain promoted himself to number three in the match against the Delhi Capitals at Chepauk. Unfortunately, that move did not quite work as expected, as Dhoni handed a catch to Mithun Manhas on the second ball.
Subsequently, CSK could manage only 112/9 in their 20 overs. Delhi won the game comfortably by six wickets, riding on captain Gautam Gambhir's half-century.
1. Harbhajan Singh
Off-spin bowler Harbhajan Singh is the only Indian bowler to dismiss MS Dhoni for a duck in IPL history. The 2011 World Cup winner rose to the occasion in the first Qualifier match of IPL 2015, as he trapped Dhoni in front of the stumps to tilt the game in MI's favor.
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Batting first, the Mumbai Indians had posted a score of 187/6 in 20 overs. In response, CSK lost their openers early, but Faf du Plessis and Suresh Raina steadied the ship. MS Dhoni arrived in the middle after Harbhajan dismissed Raina, and on the very next ball, managed to pick up Dhoni's wicket.