Watch: Mumbai Indians opener Rohit Sharma was outfoxed by Chennai Super Kings skipper MS Dhoni, getting dismissed while playing a lap shot right after the wicketkeeper came up to the stumps in the IPL 2023 clash today (May 6).

Rohit, who is in woeful form in the ongoing Indian Premier League, and made 2, 3 and 0 in his last three innings before the game on Saturday, left many surprised when he did not walk out to open the innings. It was for the first time since May 2018 that Rohit was not opening the innings in the IPL. Mumbai’s No.3 Cameron Green has been in fine touch and the franchise probably looked at him to maximise the powerplay overs.

The tactic, however, did not work, as Green was dismissed in the second over by Tushar Deshpande and Rohit walked out following his departure. Mumbai lost Ishan Kishan on the second ball of the third over and succumbed to 14-3 three deliveries later when skipper Rohit also walked back after being dismissed by Deepak Chahar.

Before the wicket ball, it was Dhoni’s ploy that caught the eye. Standing away from the stumps and without his helmet until then, he called for protection as he decided to walk up, in a bid to prevent Rohit from coming down the track against the swing bowler. It worked immediately, as Rohit was caught in two minds on the next ball, tried to play the lap shot too early and ended up giving an easy catch to Ravindra Jadeja at backward point to walk back for his second successive duck.

Chahar immediately pointed at Dhoni to applaud yet another masterstroke. Rohit, whose IPL average is now below 30, recorded his 16th duck in the IPL – the most among all batters.

Watch Rohit’s dismissal here:

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