N Srinivasan congratulates MS Dhoni and invitesย CSK team to Chennai for IPL 2023 title celebrations: Reports
India Cements vice chairman and managing director N Srinivasan reportedly congratulated Chennai Super Kings (CSK) captain MS Dhoni for the IPL 2023 title triumph over a phone call, and even invited him to Chennai to celebrate.
CSK edged past Gujarat Titans in a nail-biting summit clash by five wickets on Tuesday midnight (May 30). That gave them their fifth IPL trophy, the joint most by any side (along with Mumbai Indians).
Sai Sudarsan's fireworks (96 in 47 balls) helped set CSK a daunting target of 215. However, rain showers halted the second innings after just three balls were bowled. The target was subsequently revised to 171 in 15 overs through the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) method.
Despite strenuous efforts from the CSK battered to put score briskly, the Titans found ways to get breakthroughs. Pace bowler Mohit Sharma almost won it for the IPL 2022 champions with his disciplined yorkers, but a six and a four from Ravindra Jadeja off the last two balls helped secure the win for CSK.
๐๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐พ๐๐๐ฃ๐ฃ๐๐ ๐ฝ๐ค๐ฎ๐จ
๐๐๐ ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ก๐ก ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ฃ๐ค๐๐จ๐
๐๐ซ๐๐ง๐ฎ๐ฌ๐๐๐ง๐ ๐ฌ๐ ๐๐ค! ๐ฅณ๐ฅณ
#CHAMPION5 #WhistlePodu #Yellove ๐ฆ๐ https://t.co/yw9sv30xLz
According to reports by news agency PTI, N Srinivasan, whose India Cements is the principal sponsor of CSK, called MS Dhoni on Tuesday morning to congratulate him for clinching a fifth IPL title.
"Fantastic captain. You have done a miracle. Only you can do it. We are proud of the boys and team," Srinivasan told Dhoni, as reported by PTI.
"This season has been one where the fans have demonstrated how much they love MS Dhoni. So do we," he added.
The reports also mentioned that the India Cements MD requested Dhoni to take rest, before inviting him to Chennai along with his CSK teammates in order to celebrate the big victory.
Will MS Dhoni play the next IPL season?
Many expected IPL 2023 to be MS Dhoni's last hurrah in the world's top cricket league. Thousands of fans, including those of CSK's opponents, kept giving the former India skipper a raucous reception regardless of the venue his team played.
Dhoni mentioned last year that he would like to play in front of CSK's home crowd in Chepauk before considering retirement from the IPL. The CSK talisman was asked during the post-match presentation about his future in the league.
"Circumstantially, if you see, this is the best time to announce my retirement," he responded. "But the amount of love and affection I have been shown wherever I have been this year, the easy thing would be for me to say 'Thank you very much', but the tough thing for me is to work hard for another nine months and come back and play at least one more season of IPL."
The interaction you were waiting for ๐
MS Dhoni has got everyone delighted with his response ๐
#TATAIPL | #Final | #CSKvGT | @msdhoni https://t.co/vEX5I88PGK
"A lot depends on the body," he added. "I have six-seven months to decide. It will be more like a gift from my side; it's not easy for me, but that's a gift. The way they've shown their love and affection, I think that's something I need to do for them."
MS Dhoni scored 104 runs in 12 innings in the 2023 season at a strike rate of 182.46, apart from inflicting 10 dismissals behind the wickets (7 catches and three stumpings).