LSG’s fielding coach Jonty Rhodes humorously awarded Deepak Hooda the “Magic Mike” award for dropping a catch against CSK, suggesting that Hooda’s mishap delayed MS Dhoni’s entry.
After every IPL 2024 game, LSG’s fielding coach Jonty Rhodes presents the Magic Mike award to outstanding fielders, but this time, it went to Deepak Hooda, ironically for dropping a catch against CSK. Hooda’s mishap occurred in the 17th over when he misjudged a delivery from Mohsin Khan, allowing Ravindra Jadeja to score a six.
In a post-match video, Rhodes humorously suggested that Hooda’s error actually helped Lucknow win by delaying MS Dhoni’s entry and depriving him of facing more deliveries. Amidst laughter in the LSG dressing room, Hooda playfully embraced the joke, comically suggesting that his drop was a strategic move.
“I think it was a smart decision by birthday boy Deepak Hooda to let the ball go for a six, so that meant Dhoni didn’t come out for another five balls,” Rhodes remarked.
MSD, Hoody, Magic Mike – Only Jonty could've done this 😂 pic.twitter.com/VBnmQwcfvs
— Lucknow Super Giants (@LucknowIPL) April 20, 2024
On the match front, LSG’s opening partnership and KL Rahul’s stellar performance, scoring 82 runs off 53 balls, ensured Lucknow’s comfortable victory by eight wickets with an over to spare.
After the game, skipper KL Rahul reflected on the atmosphere at Ekana Stadium, likening it to an away game due to the overwhelming support for MS Dhoni and CSK. Despite being their home ground, the crowd’s fervent backing for Dhoni made it feel like they were playing in unfamiliar territory.
Rahul also acknowledged Dhoni’s impact, stating that his explosive innings (28 runs from just 9 deliveries), though not ideal from their perspective, added significant pressure on the bowlers, allowing CSK to post a challenging total of 177.
READ ALSO | Zaheer Khan and Robin Uthappa in Awe of MS Dhoni’s Commanding Show against LSG in IPL 2024
Last Updated on April 20, 2024
Senior Sports Copywriter
