WATCH | IPL 2017: How Steve Smith saved the day for RPS after MS Dhoni nearly botched up a simple finish

The tenth edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) has gotten off to a predictable start. While the first match of the season between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Royal Challengers Bangalore was a high-scoring affair, the second game between Rising Pune Supergiant (RPS) and Mumbai Indians (MI) was a thrilling last-over finish.

What was not predictable, though, was the sudden drop in Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s finishing abilities. The former India captain, who earlier used to smash over 15 runs off the final four balls of a match to sail his team through to victory, seems to be struggling to meet the sweet spot of his bat these days.

On Thursday, RPS needed 13 runs to win from the final over of the match which was being bowled by Kieron Pollard. Dhoni was batting on ten runs, with a strike-rate of 100, at that time. A poor start to an innings by any standards, let alone the lofty ones set by the legend in his heydays.

Even so, with a tired Smith at the other end, one would have expected Dhoni to bludgeon the West Indian’s dollies out of the park and guide his team to victory. Far from that, it was Smith who had to make up for Dhoni’s mistimed strokes.

While the former RPS skipper could manage just two singles from the two balls he faced, his successor did well to smash two timely sixes and take his team home with a ball to spare.

Here is the final over from Thursday’s match:

Who would’ve imagined Smith – a batsman known for his sumptuous drives – saving mighty Dhoni the blushes in a T20 match!