3 times MS Dhoni couldn't hold back his emotions for CSK in IPL
MS Dhoni has been the face of the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) team in the IPL since the first day of the competition. Back in 2008, CSK submitted the then-biggest bid in the auction to rope in Dhoni. The Super Kings team management straightaway appointed him as the captain and he led the team to the final in the inaugural season.
Dhoni's team finished in the top 4 in the second season as well, but the trophy eluded them. CSK ended their title drought with back-to-back championships in 2010 and 2011.
They could not win another trophy in the next four seasons, but the Super Kings regularly finished in the top 4.
The tournament organizers suspended CSK for two years in 2016 due to off-field reasons, but when the team returned in 2018, the captain once again led them to another trophy.
CSK finished runners-up in 2019 before they had their worst season in the UAE in 2020. Dhoni promised that CSK would come back stronger, and the team proved their leader right by winning the tournament in 2021.
The same thing happened in 2022 and 2023. The Chennai-based team finished in the bottom two of the standings in 2022 but bounced back spectacularly to finish IPL 2023 as the champions.
The cricket universe has given the nickname 'Captain Cool' to MS Dhoni because of the way he keeps himself calm even in the most intense moments. Dhoni rarely shows his emotions, but the man himself has said in multiple interviews that he too gets frustrated and feels emotional at times.
While Dhoni has managed to hold his emotions back on the majority of occasions, here are three moments when the 41-year-old could not.
#1 MS Dhoni lifts Ravindra Jadeja, hugs him after IPL 2023 win
Earlier this week, Chennai Super Kings won their fifth IPL trophy with a close win against the Gujarat Titans at the Narendra Modi Stadium. Ravindra Jadeja emerged as the hero for the team as he smashed a six and a four when the team needed 10 runs off the last two deliveries.
Emotional MS Dhoni while hugging Ravindra Jadeja.
#IPL2023Finals MSDhoni𓃵 #CSKvsGT
Congratulations CSK https://t.co/Sq0FVmlXxi
When Jadeja headed towards the CSK dugout after hitting the final four, Dhoni lifted him on his shoulders and hugged him. Fans could see tears in the Chennai captain's eyes.
#2 MS Dhoni cried at the team dinner in 2018
During the IPL 2023 season, former CSK players Harbhajan Singh and Imran Tahir disclosed that Dhoni became emotional and cried when the team returned to the IPL in 2018.
In an interaction on Star Sports Hindi, Singh said:
"Back in 2018, when CSK made a comeback to this league after a 2-year ban, there was a team dinner. I have heard the saying that 'Men don't cry', but MS Dhoni cried on that night. He became emotional. I think no one knows about this."
#3 Dhoni's aggressive celebration after IPL 2010 league stage win against Punjab Kings
As mentioned above, CSK won their first title in 2010. However, their journey to the trophy was not the smoothest.
The team was in a do-or-die situation when it took on the Punjab Kings (known as Kings XI Punjab at the time) in their last league-stage match of the season. Had CSK lost that match, Delhi Capitals (known as Delhi Daredevils at the time) would have qualified for the semifinals.
Chennai were given a 193-run target to win the match in Dharamsala. They reached 148/4 in 16.4 overs, needing 45 runs off the last 20 balls.
It seemed like a challenging task, but MS Dhoni and Albie Morkel stitched together a 47-run fifth-wicket partnership in just 18 balls to guide their team to the next round. Dhoni remained not out on 54 runs off 29 balls, smacking five fours and two sixes.
He finished the match in style, with two back-to-back sixes off Irfan Pathan's last over when CSK needed 10 off four. After the last six, fans witnessed an unusually aggressive celebration from Dhoni.
"The kind of franchise we have got, the kind of team we have, we should have made it to the semi-finals before this game. So it was an emotional moment, at least for me," Dhoni said after the match.
You can watch the two sixes and MS Dhoni's emotional celebration from the ninth minute onwards in the above video.