Dhoni has earned a name for himself as ‘Captain Cool’ over the years. Even during toughest of times, he maintained his composure. Surprisingly, Thursday night, when CSK played Rajasthan Royals, Dhoni lost his cool and stormed into the field to show his frustration towards an umpiring decision. It left cricket fans in disbelief. The match was marred by controversy when Dhoni entered the pitch in the final over of the match to raise an argument with on-field umpires.
Interestingly, Dhoni escaped a ban and was let off with a 50 per cent fine on his match fee for an unprecedented confrontation with the on-field umpire. Dhoni admitted to the Level 2 offence 2.20 of the IPL’s Code of Conduct and accepted the sanction. According to the ICC Code of Conduct, which governs the IPL, showing serious dissent at an umpire’s decision by words or action can lead to a maximum punishment of one-Test or two-ODI ban.
Though many cricketers say that it was not good for the game, it brought the focus on poor umpiring decisions in this IPL so far. The quality of umpiring is below par and there are enough instances to support this. Dhoni can be forgiven for he was just dismissed and went to the dug-out and there was an adrenaline rush. However, being a senior cricketer, he should set an example. An opposition captain has no right to walk out on the pitch after being dismissed. Dhoni has set a wrong precedent. His act will have negative influence on youngsters.