Dhoni wanted to have clarity, says Chennai coach Fleming

Dhoni was docked 50 per cent of the match fee for stepping on to the pitch and arguing with on-field umpires Ullas Gandhe and Bruce Oxenford.

Jaipur, April 12: Mahendra Singh Dhoni courted a massive controversy on Thursday night (April 11) when he walked on to the pitch to question umpires' decision to revoke a hip no-ball bowled by Rajasthan Royals' Ben Stokes.

Afterwards, Dhoni was docked 50 per cent of the match fee for stepping on to the pitch and arguing with on-field umpires Ullas Gandhe and Bruce Oxenford. However, Chennai Super Kings coach Stephen Fleming said Dhoni wanted to have clarity on why the no-ball decision was reversed.

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"Our understanding was that the umpire at the bowler's end had called the no ball and then there was confusion around whether it was a no ball or not," Fleming said. "MS was after some clarity and it didn't seem to be coming. So, he took the opportunity to go out in there and discuss it with the umpires. That's how I saw it and that's how I discussed it with him afterward," he said.

Fleming said the right and wrong of the call will be discussed for a long time to come for its unusual nature and the stature of the person involved.

"He only just wanted clarity. The rights and wrongs will be discussed by everybody, including Mahi, I'm sure. But, I think, it'll be a discussion for the umpires afterwards and I am a watcher as you guys are, for now. But he was certainly fired up about the way the decision was handled and why it was over-turned or if it was over-turned. So, there was a lack of clarity, obviously, for him and he wanted to get it clarified at that key moment. It's unusual but he's usually pretty calculated. It'll be something he will be questioned about for sure, for a long time," he said.

Royals' batsman Jos Buttler, who himself found in the centre of 'Mankading' controversy a couple of weeks back in the match against Kings XI Punjab at the same venue, said Dhoni stepping on to the pitch was not the right move.

"I'm not sure if that's the right thing to do or not. Obviously the tensions are running high in the IPL and every run counts. Yeah, it was a big moment in the game but whether stepping on to the pitch is quite right? Probably not," the Englishman said.