'These are very quick-fire, split-second decisions' - MS Dhoni reveals thoughts when fielders drop catches

Former India legendary wicketkeeper batter MS Dhoni discusses the importance of catches in a game and what goes on in the players' minds. The 43-year-old stalwart discusses this topic on a podcast with social media influencer and host Raj Shamani.

The former India skipper and CSK legend was questioned by the Indore-born on how he would react to the situation when a player has dropped a catch during a game, and gave his opinion on whether it is correct to get angry and punish the player on the mishap or not. The Ranchi-born also mentioned that the players have to decide in a split second whether they want to take the catch according to the situation.

“So not attempting is a different thing. Generally, this doesn't happen in cricket because it's a split-second decision. Sometimes the ball doesn't have a height of the catch. It comes from around the light. You hesitate. And now players hit so hard. If you hesitate for one second, you're not in a position to recover and go ahead, or second, you go for the catch,” Dhoni said.

“And in cricket, there are often new situations where you don't actually need to go for that catch. So sometimes, you are better off maybe just giving a one, depending on how many wickets have fallen, what is the match situation. If that four runs have gone, then the first four have gone and the second one is the same batsman on strike. Now what is this? These are very quick-fire, split-second decision. It takes time to teach him. But it's never a scenario where you'll get angry, especially on the field,” he added.

Not having game awareness is a problem, reckons Dhoni

Dhoni, while answering, also stated that the most important thing in the field since the players have to give their 100% during the match. The former World Champion said that though it is a tough situation with the crowd in the background, but wants them to have control in the present and not forget about what happened in the past.

“If there is no awareness, so there is a problem. Because what is the biggest platform? Whenever we are growing up at some point of time, when you start doing this, you have to play for India, you have to do good for India. Now you're playing for India for some time. You don't even have this in your mind that you have to give 100% here. Because that's how much control I have. What I have to do by going back, what I don't have to do, it is all not related. It won't help,” the five-time IPL winner said.

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“Sometimes it happens that you miss it. You're seeing there, but you can't see. Because there are 5–7 players, there is a crowd, so there can be a problem with the colours. But somebody will get your attention. The problem is when a person is here and there, let's say he hasn't scored runs, he has to see that he has been hit. But again it's a controllable. I would always respect people who are at the boundary but were keeping an eye. Because they're giving that extra 10% or 15%. So it's not like we'll get angry. But we'll tell him outside,” the CSK star concluded.