3 MS Dhoni cameos for CSK that wowed the crowd in recent IPL seasons
Chennai Super Kings (CSK) captain MS Dhoni played an impressive cameo against the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Monday, April 3.
After openers Ruturaj Gaikwad (57 off 31) and Devon Conway (47 off 29) played fine knocks, adding 110 for the first wicket, Dhoni (12 off three) and Ambati Rayudu (27* off 14) put the finishing touches to CSK's innings.
The Chennai captain once again came into bat at No. 8 and smashed the first two balls he faced for sixes before being dismissed, attempting a third big hit.
Dhoni came to the crease in the last over after Ravindra Jadeja was dismissed. The first ball he faced from Mark Wood was a quick and wide delivery. The veteran keeper-batter flashed hard and the ball flew over third man, landing behind the ropes.
A treat for the Chennai crowd! 😍
@msdhoni is BACK in Chennai & how 💥
#TATAIPL | #CSKvLSG
WATCH his incredible two sixes 🔽 https://t.co/YFkOGqsFVT
The next delivery was a short one and this time Dhoni brought out the pull, sending the ball over deep square leg as the crowd went berserk.
The CSK captain's cameo ended when he sliced the next delivery to deep cover. It was a very short stay, but an entertaining one nonetheless.
On that note, let's look at three MS Dhoni cameos for CSK that wowed the crowd in recent IPL seasons.
#3 (14* off 7) vs Gujarat Titans - IPL 2023
Dhoni made an impact with an impressive cameo in the Chennai Super Kings’ match against Gujarat Titans (GT) in the IPL 2023 opener at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
Gujarat won the toss and opted to bowl first in the match. Ruturaj Gaikwad top-scored with 92 off 50, but the rest failed to make much of a contribution.
Dhoni came in and turned the clock back with a couple of blazing hits. He took on left-arm pacer Joshua Little in the last over and clubbed him for a six and a four. The right-handed batter first dispatched a back-of-a-length delivery over deep square leg, bringing out his famed pull stroke.
The next ball was a hit-me delivery. Little bowled one on the pads and Dhoni flicked it over square leg for a boundary with precision.
Thanks to the CSK skipper’s late burst, Chennai posted a competitive 178/7. It wasn't enough though as Gujarat chased down the total in 19.2 overs.
#2 (28* off 13) vs Mumbai Indians - IPL 2022
Ahead of IPL 2022, there were concerns over Dhoni’s form. While he did not have a great season overall, the legendary cricketer played a brilliant cameo of 28* in 13 balls as CSK beat Mumbai Indians (MI) in a thrilling last-ball finish.
Chasing 156, Chennai needed 17 off the last over, which soon became 16 from four balls. Dhoni then dispatched the third ball of the over from Jaydev Unadkat into the sightscreen for a maximum.
The next ball was a bouncer, which the CSK skipper preempted and pulled over short fine leg for a boundary.
The equation came down to four off the last ball. As he has so often done in his glorious cricketing career, Dhoni once again prevailed under pressure.
Left-arm pacer Unadkat bowled a low full toss. The CSK batter knew the fine leg was up and slashed the ball through the vacant region for a boundary to add another chapter to his list of glorious finishes.
#1 (18* off 6) vs Delhi Capitals - IPL 2021, Qualifier 1
Chennai Super Kings were on the back foot in Qualifier 1 of IPL 2021 against Delhi Capitals (DC) at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
Chasing 173, CSK went into the last two overs needing 24. The equation got tougher as the well-set Ruturaj Gaikwad (70) was dismissed by Avesh Khan at the start of the penultimate over.
The fifth ball of the over from Avesh was a short one and Dhoni smacked a flat pull over deep mid-wicket. It came down to 13 runs off the last six balls but MSD did not need the entire over. He guided CSK into the IPL 2021 final by clobbering Tom Curran for three fours in the last over.
The first four was slashed wide of cover and the second inside-edged to the fine-leg boundary. Fittingly, Dhoni hit the winning runs, pulling a short slower delivery outside off stump behind square.
CSK went on to win the IPL 2021 final as well, beating the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) by 27 runs.