IPL 2019: MS Dhoni and Sakshi grab some shut eye… on the airport floor!
Despite the all the glitz and glamour and the fist-pumping moments at the Indian Premier League, there is a side to it that is often overlooked. The tournament has come under criticism in the last couple of days for failing to conclude matches on time. Quite a few matches have concluded close to 12 am. The result is a bunch of weary players and hectic travel. The best example of this showed up on MS Dhoni's Instagram account.
The Chennai Super Kings captain and his wife Sakshi, were caught napping on the airport floor. Literally. Both MSD and Sakshi made use of a backpack as their common pillow and seemed to have no issues in getting some shut eye before they travel. A few other team members were visible squatting on what looked to be a ledge. The skipper captioned in his post that this is what happens when players have an early morning flight.
The slow pace of the IPL has been criticised by former player and Delhi Capitals' assistant coach Mohammad Kaif. "Every match is finishing at 12 in the night. Umpires need to ensure that the match ends on time. Teams are taking up too much time on deciding which fielder should be fielded at what position," said Kaif to reporters.
Slow over rates at the 2019 IPL have affected a couple of matches. Ajinkya Rahane (captain of Rajasthan Royals) and Rohit Sharma (captain of Mumbai Indians) have been penalised for slow over rates.
The post from Dhoni was shared the morning after CSK beat Kolkata Knight Riders to reclaim the top spot on the IPL points table. CSK will be next seen in action against Rajasthan Royals on April 11. Meanwhile, Mumbai Indians will host Kings XI Punjab at the Wankhede on April 10.