Signed match ball from MS Dhoni: MI's Kumar Kartikeya flaunts prized possession
India Today
IPL 2022: Mumbai Indians left-arm spinner Kumar Kartikeya flaunted the signed match ball he received from MS Dhoni after MI's win over CSK on Thursday.
MS Dhoni has made it a habit to interact with young players from the opposition sides, sharing his knowledge and experience with them. Ever since Dhoni retired from international cricket, the frequency of the post-match interactions with the Chennai Super Kings captain has gone up.
On Thursday, MS Dhoni made the day of Mumbai Indians' spinner Kumar Kartikeya by gifting him a signed match ball. The 24-year-old from Uttar Pradesh flaunted the match ball from MS Dhoni as he walked up the stairs of the Mumbai dressing room, holding his prized possession in front of the camera.
Kartikeya shone in Mumbai Indians' 5-wicket win, picking up 2 wickets and conceding just 22 runs in his 4-over spell. The left-arm spinner picked up the crucial wicket of Dwayne Bravo, snapping a partnership that was developing between the West Indies star and Dhoni.
Kartikeya was brought in as a replacement for Injured Mohd Arshad Khan only last week. The 24-year-old spinner from Uttar Pradesh had played nine first-class matches, 19 List A games, and eight T20s, picking 35, 18 and 9 wickets respectively, and was part of the net-bowling group for Mumbai Indians. Kartikeya, who left his home when he was a kid, had to struggle as a daily wage labourer to make ends meet.
Dhoni on Thursday hit a solid 36 not out, anchoring the CSK innings even as he was losing partners at regular intervals in their IPL 2022 match against the Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium. CSK were bundled out 97, the only second time the 4-time champions have been bowled out for less than 100 in the IPL.
However, Dhoni showed signs of his good form in the ongoing season, hitting 4 boundaries and 2 sixes. He remained unbeaten but his effort was not enough for CSK, who were officially eliminated from the race to the playoffs.
