Lucknow Super Giants’ Fielding Coach Jonty Rhodes Lauds Deepak Hooda’s ‘Clever Thinking’ in Dropping Catch to Keep MS Dhoni Out
In a surprising move, Lucknow Super Giants’ (LSG) fielding coach Jonty Rhodes awarded the ‘best fielder’ award to Deepak Hooda for a dropped catch during the team’s victory over Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in IPL 2024.
While attempting to catch an aerial hit by Ravindra Jadeja at the long-on fence, Hooda could only manage to tip it over the bar, resulting in a six. However, Rhodes praised Hooda’s effort, explaining that it prevented MS Dhoni from entering the game as the next batsman.
“Fielding award is not just about brilliant performances, fielding is about awareness,” Rhodes said in a video posted by LSG. “In the yellow team (Chennai) they have this guy MSD. He is striking it at 400 strike rate. I think it was a real smart decision by birthday boy Deepak Hooda to let the ball go for six. That meant Dhoni didn’t come up for another five balls.”
Rhodes’s analysis was spot on, as Dhoni, when he eventually came in, bludgeoned 28 runs off just 9 balls, including two sixes and three fours.
“That is magical! So the award goes to Deepak Hooda,” Rhodes concluded before presenting Hooda with the award.
Rhodes’s decision highlights the importance of situational awareness in fielding. By preventing Dhoni from facing more deliveries, Hooda’s dropped catch ultimately contributed to LSG’s victory.
