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Meet Praharsh Parikh, the 19-year-old boy who bowled MS Dhoni
Following the Indian cricket team's practice session can be a riveting affair. Most often, you'd witness the usual. Net bowlers steaming in, batsmen fine-tuning their methods, and the ever-so-observant coach keeping a keen eye on the players. The usual. However, one such net session, that took place on the eve of India vs Pakistan ICC 2019 World Cup match in Manchester, remains etched in the mind of a young bowler from Manchester, England. As it eventually turned out, the 2019 WC was MS Dhoni's final appearance for India. Through the tournament, the former India captain put in a little bit extra on the field and the nets alike. Over the years, Dhoni's template of batting in the nets has more or less remained the same. One of the last guys to enter, Dhoni begins by facing the spinners first. He knocks the ball around for a while, slowly gets into the groove before bringing out the big shots.
June 15, 2019, the day before the India-Pakistan World Cup clash, produced a similar pattern. Dhoni strode to the nets and got ready to face the bowlers. Up stepped Praharsh Parikh, part of Lancashire's Under-17 team. Coming round the wicket, Parikh bowled a top-spinner, forcing Dhoni to go back and play a cut, but the ball did not bounce as high as Dhoni anticipated and it went under his bat to clip the off-stump. Before that day, Parikh had been many things – an Under-17 Lancashire cricketer, part of Rajasthan Royals' junior program. But on that day, he was part of a moment he would proudly narrate to his future generations. He was the kid who had bowled MS Dhoni
