Former Pakistan spinner claims MS Dhoni ‘unfairly’ awarded Player of the Match award during IND-PAK game in 2012-13

Former India skipper MS Dhoni has played 350 ODIs, 90 Tests, and 98 T20Is. Talking about his wicketkeeping record in One Day format, he has 444 dismissals including 321 catches and 123 stumpings. Even though he is regarded as one of the flawless keepers, former Pakistan spinner Saeed Ajmal has claimed that Dhoni got the ‘Player of the Match’ award unfairly after the third ODI between India and Pakistan in January 2013.

For the unversed, England toured India in the winters of 2012-13 for all format series. After winning the Test series (2-1) and leveling the T20I series, the Three Lions went home for a Christmas break. On the other hand, the Indian Cricket Board, who was looking forward to a series against Pakistan got a window, albeit a small one. After leveling the T20I series (1-1), the Green Brigade took an unassailable lead in the three-match ODI series.

In the last match of the ODI series, the Men In Blue needed to avoid a whitewash against their Asian rivals. Notably, after scoring 167 all-out, the home team managed to win the game by 10 runs after the visitors were going well at 113/3. The Indian bowlers staged a massive comeback.

MS Dhoni scored only 18 runs and dropped two catches for the Player of the Match award: Saeed Ajmal

10 years after this game, the T20 World Cup 2009 winner said that he bowled well during the series. He added that Dhoni, who scored only 18 runs and dropped two catches, got the Player of the match award.

“I think it was my bad luck. I bowled India out for 175 in the third ODI – it was the only series I played in India. We won the first two matches and I bowled outstandingly well in both. In the third ODI, I got five wickets which is still my best ODI figures. What is 175? But MS Dhoni, for scoring some 18 runs and dropping two catches, took away the Man of the Match award. It’s unfair. What is the meaning of a Man of the Match? A person who has the best performance in a game should win it, right? But since India won the match, they gave Man of the Match award to Dhoni for dropping a catch,” Ajmal said on The Nadir Ali podcast.

Notably, the former India skipper only dropped one catch on the bowling of Ravindra Jadeja.