IPL 2021: [Watch] MS Dhoni drops a dolly to give Venkatesh Iyer a second chance at 0

In a rare error, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) skipper MS Dhoni dropped a regulation catch behind the stumps to give Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) opening batsman Venkatesh Iyer a second chance in the IPL 2021 final.

Pacer Josh Hazlewood served the perfect ball to Venkatesh Iyer in the second over of KKR's innings. It was an incisive short-of-length delivery that jumped up and took the edge cleanly of the left-handed batter's willow.

The ball went to the left and close to the face of MS Dhoni as he tried to reverse-cup it and fumbled. He tried to grab it on the bounce but it was too late.

You can watch a clip of the same here:

You can also watch the full video here.

MS Dhoni later gestured to his teammates that the ball tailed off further to his left after pitching which made him late to get his hands in position. The on-air commentators observed that the CSK skipper's effort might have also been undone by a slight dip in the trajectory of the ball.

Whatever the case, it gave Venkatesh Iyer, KKR's best batsman in the UAE leg so far, a crucial second chance. The 26-year-old, as a result, got off to a decent start in the all-important clash.

Shardul Thakur drops Shubman Gill after MS Dhoni gives Iyer a lifeline

If one blow to Josh Hazlewood's heart wasn't enough, Shardul Thakur dropped the other KKR opener, Shubman Gill, in the pacer's next over. This was a tougher opportunity as the hard cuff from Gill's bat traveled faster and flatter towards Thakur at mid-off. The all-rounder dived but the ball fell just short of him.

Earlier in the match, MS Dhoni's team put up a massive 192-3 in the first innings, on the back of an impressive 59-ball knock of 86 runs from Faf du Plessis. Interestingly, Du Plessis, too, was dropped for four in that innings by KKR's wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik.

It remains to be seen how costly these two drops will prove for the three-time champions.