May 6 (Punjab Khabarnama) : Punjab Kings fast bowler Harshal Patel, on Sunday, pulled off what no other bowler did in the ongoing 2024 season of the Indian Premier League. In the match against Chennai Super Kings at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala, Harshal became the first bowler to dismiss Dhoni this season and the right-armer did it with a perfect slower yorker as the former CSK captain departed for a golden duck.
For the first time in his illustrious T20 career, Dhoni walked out at No. 9 for a side with CSK even sending Shardul Thakur and Mitchell Santner ahead of him despite his exploits with the bat this season, where he scored 110 runs in just 48 balls, includes a boundary every three balls.
After Harshal removed Shardul with an off-cutter, Dhoni walked out amid a huge roar, as usual. But the PBKS star’s strategy remained the same. He dished out another superb slower ball off-cutter on the stumps, as it dipped on Dhoni, who looked completely clueless. The CSK legend tried to bring his bat down, but the ball went past the weak swipe to leg, to peg back the off stump. There was a moment of silence that followed after the rare dismissal for golden duck as CSK spectators were left shell shocked at the sight.
This was Dhoni’s fourth dismissal for a golden duck in his IPL career and first since the IPL 2023 final against Gujarat Titans last year in Ahmedabad.
Despite Harshal’s big achievement in the match, he brought out a muted celebration. All he did was put his arms aloft as his teammates celebrated the wicket before CSK were restricted to 167 for nine.
“I have too much respect for him to celebrate when I get him out,” the PBKS bowler later said in the mid-innings chat on his no-celebration act.
Harshal was among the pick of the bowlers for Punjab Kings as he finished with 3 for 24.
“One of the advantages of playing a day game is that the square is quite rough. So the ball starts reversing. In my first over it was reversing. It’s all about the feel of that delivery (slower one). More you bowl the better you get. Most batters don’t pick it. Have been practicing in the nets, and when it comes out it gives you great results,” he added.