MS Dhoni’s last outing for the Indian team was also on a ‘Reserve Day’, when New Zealand had beaten India in the 2019 ICC World Cup semi-final.
The final of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 headed into the Reserve Day after play could not be possible on Sunday due to persistent rain at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Fans turned up in numbers hoping to see MS Dhoni lift the IPL trophy for the 5th time in his career with the Chennai Super Kings but had to return home disappointed. Though Dhoni’s men are scheduled to take on Gujarat Titans on Monday, the prospect of Dhoni playing on a ‘Reserve Day’ brought back some horrible memories.
It was the semi-final of the 2019 ICC ODI World Cup between India and New Zealand when the match had to be shifted to the ‘Reserve Day’ because of rain on the scheduled day. New Zealand pacers, particularly Matt Henry, ran riot in overcast conditions to put India on the backfoot early on.
The match also saw Dhoni, the last hope of the Indian team, being run-out by Martin Guptill, helping the Kiwis secure an 18-run win. The match turned out to be Dhoni’s last in the Indian jersey, with the former skipper deciding to retire from international cricket a few months later.