Lungi Ngidi, the Proteas pacer has recalled how MS Dhoni’s brilliance got him a wicket in the final of IPL 2018. MS Dhoni changed the field on his own and Lungi Ngidi benefitted from the skipper’s move.
MS Dhoni remains to be one of the most successful captains in the history of international cricket and the Indian Premier League (IPL). The only captain to win all three ICC trophies played during his time, MS Dhoni has also proven his skills in the T20 league and captained Chennai Super Kings (CSK) to 4 IPL titles.
MS Dhoni Led Chennai Super Kings Qualified Every Time Except IPL 2020
Led by MS Dhoni, CSK has made it to the 2nd round of 11 out of 12 IPL seasons they have competed in, with IPL 2020 being the only instance where the team failed to qualify and was eliminated from the group stage itself. MS Dhoni’s shrewd captaincy skills have worked wonders for the Yellow Army and the players have also benefitted from their leader.
Chennai Super Kings retained the likes of MS Dhoni, Ravindra Jadeja, Ruturaj Gaikwad, and an overseas player in all-rounder Moeen Ali. Ravindra Jadeja has been retained for Rs 16 crore, while MS Dhoni took home Rs 12 crore.
Moeen Ali was retained for Rs 8 crore, while Ruturaj Gaikwad bagged Rs 6 crore. Ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022, the team will enter the mega auction and look to rebuild the squad to defend the title in the upcoming season.
Lungi Ngidi Recalls 2018 IPL Final: MS Dhoni Automatically Changed Field And Wicket Came Immediately
Speaking exclusively, former CSK pacer Lungi Ngidi talked about the franchise at length and revealed an incident where MS Dhoni’s brilliance got him a wicket in the IPL 2018 final. CSK faced Kane Williamson-led Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the summit clash that year.
The MS Dhoni-led side continued its undefeated run against SRH in the season and defeated them for the 4th time. Playing his maiden IPL season, Lungi Ngidi also played his part in the title win and bowled a spell of 4-1-26-1 in the final. He got the scalp of Deepak Hooda in the 17th over.
Lungi Ngidi hadn’t discussed field placement with MS Dhoni before the start of the over. And the CSK skipper moved a fielder without consulting the bowler. MS Dhoni’s move worked and Deepak Hooda was caught at the position where MS Dhoni placed the fielder.
“It was the final against the Sunrisers (Hyderabad) in 2018, we hadn’t discussed a certain field placement but he automatically just changed my field and with that field, within a couple of balls, we got a wicket to the fielder that he had moved.”
“So for me, that’s one thing that sticks out in my mind because in a final, to have such a moment like that and to execute the plan that he wanted, really gave me confidence in terms of how to bowl and it just showed me how in tune he is with the game in terms of how he sees it’s going to play out and it played out exactly the way I think he thought it was going to,” Ngidi said.
A member of CSK’s 2018 and 2021 IPL-winning teams, Lungi Ngidi scalped 25 wickets in 14 matches for the Yellow Army. He was released by CSK after the season and will be among players up for grabs in the IPL 2022 auction. He has set his base price at Rs 50 lakh.