"Get plenty of hate mails" - Martin Guptill reflects on running out MS Dhoni in 2019 World Cup semi-final
New Zealand batter Martin Guptill recently revealed that he still gets plenty of hate E-mails from India for his direct throw to run out MS Dhoni in the 2019 ODI World Cup semi-final.
Chasing 240, Team India sunk to 24/4 and further to 92/6, with the hopes of winning a third ODI World Cup slipping away. However, a valiant Dhoni in the company of Ravindra Jadeja resurrected the innings and provided renewed hope to Indian fans.
Despite Jadeja's dismissal for 77, Dhoni's presence entering the final two overs gave India more than a shout to pull off the miraculous victory. With 25 runs needed off 10 deliveries, the former Indian skipper flapped a bouncer from Lockie Ferguson and set off for the second run to retain strike.
Guptill ran in from deep square leg and pulled off a direct hit with one stump to aim. His rocket caught Dhoni inches short of his ground and sealed India's fate.
Martin Guptill reflected on the direct hit in response to a query from Hindustan Times during the ongoing Legends League Cricket.
"In other words, the whole of India doesn't like me. I get plenty of hate mails from there. "It's one of those things that happened so quickly in the moment," said Guptill.
He added:
"All I remember was I saw the ball go up and I then I thought, oh no, it's coming sort of more towards me. So I put the skates on to get on with that run. I knew there was no chance of a throw at the stumps, but I just tried to have a shot and only had one and a half stumps to aim at and I just got lucky. The stars aligned, and it was a perfect throw."
New Zealand won by 18 runs and advanced to the final, where they suffered a heartbreaking defeat to hosts in England in a Super Over.
As it turns out, the game was MS Dhoni's last international outing of his illustrious career.
The Men in Blue avenged their 2019 defeat by scoring a 70-run win over the Blackcaps in the semi-final at the 2023 World Cup.
"I'm not an active international cricketer" - Martin Guptill
Martin Guptill confirmed that he is no longer active in international cricket but stated his desire to continue playing in New Zealand.
The 37-year-old was integral to New Zealand's 2015 and 2019 World Cup final runs. This includes scoring a blistering 237* in the 2015 World Cup quarter-final against the West Indies.
"I'm not an active international cricketer. I haven't finished cricket in New Zealand yet. But yes, I'm retired. For me, it was always going to be retire after the 23 World Cup and then look to play a few leagues around the world and see the way things transpired back home," said Guptill.
Guptill was one of New Zealand's white-ball pillars, with over 7,300 ODI and 2,500 T20I runs, including a combined 21 centuries.
Currently, he is representing the Urbanisers Hyderabad in the ongoing Legends League Cricket (LLC).