Gautam Gambhir surrounds Dhoni with fielders during KKR vs RPS match
NEW DELHI: Gautam Gambhir’s equation with MS Dhoni was topic of discussion yet again on Saturday as the Kolkata Knight Riders’ skipper opted to set a rather interesting field for his Rising Pune Supergiants counterpart in Match 45 of the Indian Premier League.
Mahi walked out to the middle with his team in trouble at 74/4 and Gambhir packed the in-field to pile on the pressure.The left-hander stationed himself at silly point and had a two slips and a short leg for Dhoni.
The play clearly worked for KKR, as the wicketkeeper-batsman struggled to score freely. When the rain intervened, Dhoni was batting on 8 off 22, which happens to be the slowest ever knock for any innings of 20-plus balls.
KKR coach Jacques Kallis confirmed during the sideline interview that it was indeed a tactic to remove Dhoni early on.
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Interestingly, this is not the first time Gambhir has set an aggressive field for Dhoni. He has implemented this strategy several times before, including in the first match between KKR and RPS in the IPL this year.
Fans however were clearly divided with regards to Gambhir’s approach towards dismissing Dhoni.Some called the field placement aggressive, while others felt Gambhir was being arrogant.