Royal Challengers Bengaluru defeated Chennai Super Kings spectacularly on Saturday to secure their place in the IPL 2024 playoffs. The M Chinnaswamy Stadium was filled with excitement as the Faf du Plessis-led team defeated the opposition by 27 runs. They needed to win to finish in the Top 4. The players’ joy was met with some criticism, though, when MS Dhoni left the field without shaking hands after waiting for the RCB teammates.
Social media videos revealed that Dhoni did not shake hands as he made his way to the dressing room, instead waiting for the RCB players to continue celebrating. He went inside, and Virat Kohli went to speak with the seasoned player.
Former England cricket captain Michael Vaughan chastised RCB players for failing to extend a handshake to Dhoni during a conversation on Cricbuzz.
“With the RCB team, I can see that. They wind people out but also receive a lot of support. That was evident a lot of the night. I understand that despite their desperation to make it to the elimination stages, they have never been in an IPL winning position. However, Vaughan stated, “You don’t want to be one of those teams that everyone wants to lose.”
Renowned analyst Harsha Bhogle also chimed in, saying that players should shake hands before continuing the festivities, no matter the occasion.
“It doesn’t matter that I haven’t seen the images. A World Cup final can be won by you. You shake hands with the adversary while expressing your feelings. It is among the best features of our game. It serves as a metaphor for the fact that our hostility has ended. Although we didn’t give each other a second’s notice, our hostility is now finished. Now that we’ve played the game, let’s shake hands. Then return and rejoice,” Bhogle exclaimed.
In addition, Vaughan mentioned that it might be Dhoni’s final IPL match and questioned whether the RCB players would later regret their choice.
