‘Dhoni was unfairly given Man of The Match award ahead of me’: Ex-Pakistan cricketer recalls injustice

More than a decade has passed since the pivotal match, and now Pakistani cricketer Saeed Ajmal has resurfaced with a fervent declaration that he was unjustly denied the title of Man of the Match in the third ODI between India and Pakistan, held in January 2013. 

During that time, MS Dhoni held the esteemed position of captain for the Indian cricket team. Unfortunately, the Men in Blue had suffered defeat in the first two ODIs of the three-match series, leaving them desperate to avoid a whitewash as they entered the third and final ODI in Delhi.

After winning the toss, MS Dhoni elected for India to bat first. Despite the challenging circumstances, the team managed to post a total of 167 runs in 43.4 overs. Notably, it was MS Dhoni himself who emerged as the top scorer with 36 runs, closely followed by Suresh Raina with 31 runs and Ravindra Jadeja with 27 runs. Saeed Ajmal of Pakistan proved to be a formidable opponent, claiming an impressive 5/24.

In response, the Indian team showcased their prowess in the field. Ishant Sharma, with his exceptional skills, secured three crucial wickets, while Bhuvneshwar Kumar and R Ashwin each contributed two wickets. Pakistan’s batting lineup crumbled under the pressure, ultimately falling short at 157 runs. Captain Misbah Ul Haq fought valiantly, scoring 39 runs, and Nasir Jamshed added 34 runs to the tally.

Despite Ajmal’s five-wicket haul, MS Dhoni was named the Player of the Match.

Saeed Ajmal expressed his discontent with what he perceived as unjust treatment. He believed that Dhoni did not deserve to receive the Player of the Match award in this particular game. Ajmal argued that he should have been the rightful recipient of the accolade due to his impressive performance of taking five wickets.

“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.

Remembering another match, Saeed Ajmal said, “Even against South Africa, I once dismissed four batsmen. I may not have won a Man of the Match award, but I certainly won the Player of the Series award in ODIs. I dismissed Hashim Amla in the last over when SA needed ten runs to win in 12 balls. I got him out second last. It was the first-ever Pakistan team that won an ODI series in South Africa. In every match, I gave match-winning performances during that tour and still didn’t win a single Man of The Match award”.

READ| ‘This is the lowest you can go’: Carlos Braithwaite after West Indies fails to qualify for 2023 World Cup