Dhoni was unfairly given Man of The Match award forward of me in 2013: Pakistan bowler Saeed Ajmal

Over a decade after the match in query, Pakistani cricketer Saeed Ajmal has come out with a rant that he deserved to be Man of the Match within the third ODI between India and Pakistan that occurred in January 2013. Ajmal claimed he ought to have received the prize after serving to bowl India out for a low rating. Mahendra Singh Dhoni was named Man of the Match in that recreation. The match he was speaking about was performed on sixth January, 2013, and India ended up profitable by 10 runs.

Indirectly hitting out at MS Dhoni, Ajmal mentioned, “I think it was my bad luck. I bowled India out for 175 (the actual Indian score was 167) in the third ODI – the only series I played in India. We won the first two matches, and I bowled outstandingly well in both. In the third ODI, I got five wickets which is still my best ODI figures. What is 175? But MS Dhoni, for scoring some 18 runs (Dhoni scored 36) and dropping two catches, took away the Man of the Match award. It’s unfair. What is the meaning of a Man of the Match? A person who has the best performance in a game should win it, right? But since India won the match, they gave Man of the Match award to Dhoni for dropping a catch.” Ajmal was talking at Nadir Ali’s podcast launched on 1st July.

Ajmal and Nadir mentioned that he by no means received any Man of The Match award regardless of being the “world’s no.1 ranked ODI and T20I bowler”. Interestingly, the so-called info towards Dhoni Ajmal tabled in the course of the podcast weren’t true. During the match, Dhoni didn’t rating 18, however made 36 runs. In a low-scoring recreation with bowlers dominating, that 36 proved to be the distinction ultimately.

Further, Dhoni didn’t miss two, however one very tough catch. Interestingly, Dhoni took the catch that dismissed Ajmal after scoring only one on the scoreboard. He additionally stumped Umar Akmal as he marshaled his troops to limit Pakistan under the goal of 168.

Remembering one other match, Saeed Ajmal mentioned, “Even against South Africa, I once dismissed four batsmen. I may not have won a Man of the Match award, but I certainly won the Player of the Series award in ODIs. I dismissed Hashim Amla in the last over when SA needed ten runs to win in 12 balls. I got him out second last. It was the first-ever Pakistan team that won an ODI series in South Africa. In every match, I gave match-winning performances during that tour and still didn’t win a single Man of The Match award”.