MS Dhoni’s return as captain of Chennai Super Kings (CSK) saw an early flashpoint after his LBW dismissal against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) raised questions about the Decision Review System (DRS) process.

Facing Sunil Narine, Dhoni was struck on the front pad by a delivery that turned in sharply after pitching outside off. Umpire Chris Gaffaney gave him out on the field, and Dhoni immediately opted for a review.

During the review, third umpire Vinod Seshan closely examined the UltraEdge visuals, which showed a faint murmur as the ball passed the inside edge of the bat. However, there was no distinct spike—typically used to confirm a bat-on-ball contact. Seshan reviewed the footage multiple times, using both front-on and square-leg angles, and focused on checking for any gap between bat and pad.

Eventually, Seshan stated, “Yes, satisfied. It’s not bat. No bat involved. Going to ball-tracking when ready, please.” The ball-tracking confirmed the delivery would have gone on to hit leg stump, leading to the on-field decision being upheld.

Dhoni showed no visible protest at the decision, but the moment drew attention when CSK head coach Stephen Fleming walked onto the field during the strategic timeout following the dismissal. Though Fleming routinely uses timeouts to communicate with players, this time he appeared to have a prolonged conversation with umpire Gaffaney.

Speaking on ESPNcricinfo’s TimeOut show, former coach Sanjay Bangar commented on the uncertainty around the decision: “Listening to the DRS umpire, he seemed very, very under-confident. He wasn’t sure—he was saying ‘forward’ when he meant ‘back’. It felt like he was indecisive. But there was something on the UltraEdge, it definitely picked up a noise.”

The incident has since sparked a broader debate among fans and analysts over the interpretation of UltraEdge and the consistency of DRS decisions.