Here’s how MS Dhoni fell prey to a 17-year-old net bowler during 2019 World Cup

With MS Dhoni being one of the finest batsmen to have ever graced the game, taking his wicket would be on the wish list of many bowlers around the world. While many most prominent bowlers have struggled to take the former Indian captain’s wicket, a budding cricketer from Manchester managed to dismiss the talismanic wicket-keeper batsman in the nets during the ICC Cricket World Cup in 2019.

On the eve of high-voltage India vs Pakistan match in Manchester, spinner Praharsh Parikh, part of Lancashire’s Under-17 team, got to bowl against the veteran wicketkeeper-batsman in the nets. Coming round the wicket, Parikh bowled a top-spinner, forcing Dhoni to go back and play a cut shot. However, the ball did not bounce as high as Dhoni anticipated, and it went under his bat to hit the off-stump.

Recalling the day, Parikh called Dhoni’s wicket a memory for a lifetime. The 19-year-old said that he was in jubilation after shattering the legendary batsman’s stumps. However, he couldn’t understand how to react, whether to celebrate or not.

I will cherish MS Dhoni’s wicket for a lifetime: Praharsh Parikh

“It was amazing. It was a memory of a lifetime. He was taking singles to my previous deliveries so I thought it might be useful bowling a flipper and hopefully beating him on the outside edge. After I bowled him, I didn’t really know what to do, whether to celebrate or not. During net bowling, I have got various players out from different teams, but the wicket I will cherish for a lifetime is Dhoni’s,” Parikh told Hindustan Times.

Notably, the 2019 World Cup proved to be Dhoni’s last assignment in Team India’s jersey. In the semi-final against New Zealand, the veteran cricketer fought hard to take the Men in Blue over the line. He even scored a half-century but got run-out at the wrong time as India lost the game and got knocked out of the marquee event.

Dhoni didn’t play any international game after the heart-breaking semi-final against the Kiwis, and he officially announced his retirement in August 2020. However, he continued to play for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the Indian Premier League (IPL). The CSK skipper was last seen in IPL 2021, which was postponed midway due to the COVID-19 crisis.