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MS Dhoni Failed To Take KL Rahul's Extraordinary Effort To Successful Conclusion

MS Dhoni and KL Rahul during the 1st T20I against West Indies in Lauderhill in 2016 [X]MS Dhoni and KL Rahul during the 1st T20I against West Indies in Lauderhill in 2016 [X]

MS Dhoni, renowned for his match-finishing prowess, encountered an unforeseen hurdle on 27 August 2016. Even the most reliable can stumble, and on this particular day, MSD—the finisher—faced an unexpected and rare failure. 

West Indies made a great use of a batting paradise

India clashed with West Indies in the first of the two-match T20I series at Lauderhill in Florida, USA. The pitch was a paradise for the batters, offering a flat surface conducive to high scores. The West Indian team, batting first, made a feast of the Indian bowlers. The opening pair of Johnson Charles and Evin Lewis set a blistering pace, scoring 126 runs in just 9.3 overs, setting the stage for a high-scoring showdown. 

Even after the dismissal of Charles (79 off 33), Evin Lewis continued his assault and scored a destructive 100 off 49 deliveries before being dismissed by Ravindra Jadeja. A few more effective cameos from the middle-order meant that West Indies posted a mammoth 245/6 in their 20 overs. 

KL Rahul combined with Rohit Sharma to bring India back in the game

KL Rahul during his knock against West Indies in Lauderhill in 2016 [X]KL Rahul during his knock against West Indies in Lauderhill in 2016 [X]

India did not have the best start to the chase. They lost Ajinkya Rahane early, and Virat Kohli soon followed him. However, Rohit Sharma played a blazing knock of 62 from 28 to keep India in the chase. KL Rahul picked up the momentum from Rohit Sharma and scored a century that will be remembered for ages. 

Rahul scored 110* off 51 deliveries, and his partnership with skipper MS Dhoni took India to the doorstep of a memorable win. Dhoni, who had scored 43 off 25, was on strike on the last delivery of the game, with India needing two runs to win. 

MS Dhoni failed to score 2 runs off 1 ball

Generally, these are the situations where Dhoni has thrived and has brought the game home for his team on most occasions. However, that did not happen as Dwayne Bravo bowled a cutter at a good length outside the off stump. Dhoni tried to steer the ball to the off-side for a couple but ended up slicing the ball to Marlon Samuels at short third man. Thus, India ended up losing the match by a single run. 

A total of 489 runs were scored in the game. This remained the highest aggregate score in a T20I match until 2023. On 26th March, a game between South Africa and West Indies at the Centurion saw 517 runs scored by the two teams.