MS Dhoni watches Shahrukh Khan win the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy for Tamil Nadu
As a budding finisher from Tamil Nadu, Shahrukh Khan took center stage in Monday's Syed Mushtaq Ali 2021-22 final when he courted the attention of the best in the business - MS Dhoni.
Chasing a competitive total of 152 against the Manish Pandey-led Karnataka, Tamil Nadu required 55 off the last four overs. Batting at No. 6, Shahrukh Khan (33 off 15) maintained his composure and took his team home with a thrilling last-ball six.
Chennai Super Kings (CSK) shared a photo of MS Dhoni keenly watching the final match. Dressed in formal attire, the veteran captain could be seen observing Shahrukh Khan and M Mohammed in action at the stage where Tamil Nadu required 21 runs to win off the last two overs.
With some cheeky wordplay, the franchise captioned the image:
"Fini ๐๐๐ ing off in sty7e!"
Fini ๐๐๐ ing off in sty7e! ๐
#SyedMushtaqAliTrophy #WhistlePodu ๐ฆ https://t.co/QeuLPrJ9Mh
Not long ago, it was MS Dhoni's yellow-wearing team celebrating a tournament win when CSK lifted their fourth IPL title in the UAE. Perhaps as the veteran finisher reaches the final stage of his career, he might see Shahrukh Khan as a prospect for his home IPL franchise, too, especially with a mega auction coming up.
Shahrukh Khan was a part of the Punjab Kings in IPL 2021, where he scored 153 runs from 10 innings at a strike rate of 134.21. The KL Rahul-led team's middle-order issues didn't allow a set role for the 26-year-old right-hander but he still managed to display some exciting finishes at the biggest stage.
"Hopefully, my last T20 will be in Chennai" - MS Dhoni
Recently speaking at a public function, MS Dhoni had hinted that he hopes to play his last T20 in Chennai, adding that it could happen "in five years' time" as well.
"I have always planned my cricket," he said. "My last game that I played was in Ranchi. The last home game in ODIs was at my hometown in Ranchi. So, hopefully, my last T20 will be in Chennai. Whether it's next year or in five years' time, we don't really know."
More clarity will come through on the subject of retentions and releases as the mega auction, slated for December-January, closes in.