Who said what - top 5 expert reactions on MS Dhoni's match-winning cameo in LSG vs CSK IPL 2025 match ft. Aakash Chopra
MS Dhoni rolled back the years to guide Chennai Super Kings (CSK) to a win over the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season at the Ekana Stadium on Monday, April 14. The veteran stepped up as captain, wicket-keeper, and batter to end CSK's five-match losing run in the campaign.
The bold changes to the playing XI, the captaincy, and the impressive glove work stole the headlines in the first innings. However, he saved the best for last in the form of an unbeaten cameo to send CSK over the line. His 26 runs off 11 deliveries included four fours and a six, marking a memorable outing in a successful run chase.
On that note, let us take a look at the top 5 expert reactions on MS Dhoni's match-winning cameo in LSG vs CSK IPL 2025 match.
#1 Aakash Chopra
The former Indian cricketer noted how MS Dhoni responded to the critics in the best possible fashion. The wicket-keeper had been copping blame for leaving his strokes late into the contest, and for coming to bat at No.9 on some occasions.
"Mahi hai to mumkin hai (If Mahi is there, it is possible). We are still saying that the lion might have gotten old but hasn't forgotten hunting. He played a few shots even now. He hit a shot with just one hand. He said 'yeh mere bayen haath ka khel hai, Thakur.' He won the game and was standing and fighting till the end," Chopra said on his YouTube channel. (0:01).
#2 Abhinav Mukund
The former Indian opening batter was left amazed by how Dhoni was able to compete at the highest level despite only playing in the IPL since 2020. He lauded the veteran for his work during the off-season, to keep both his fitness and skill set well-intact.
"To not play international cricket for five years, some people struggle after year one. I think it is incredible that he has worked on his skill so much, refined it after not playing for months. Just come one month before the IPL to refine these skills, and acually get better at a certain point, and still finishing games off, you have to give credit where it is due," Abhinav Mukund said on ESPN Cricinfo.
#3 Wasim Jaffer
The former Indian batter remarked how Dhoni overshadowed his teammate Shivam Dube with his heroics in the death overs with the bat. Shivam Dube largely struggled during his 37-ball 43, while Dhoni finished with double the strike rate to that of the left-handed batter.
"I mean somebody who is playing international cricket, Shivam Dube, even he was scratchy. He was not at his fluent best. Now Dhoni, he comes only one month or two months before. For him to come and get 11-ball 26, it is incredible to see him do that," Jaffer said on ESPN Cricinfo.
#4 Simon Doull
The former New Zealand cricketer noted how Dhoni made batting look easy on a sluggish surface at the Ekana Stadium. Accomplished hitters like Rishabh Pant and Shivam Dube failed to get going, and were backed into a corner. But Dhoni managed to record five boundaries off the 11 deliveries that he faced during the run chase.
"His strike rate is 0.5 times above everyone else in the game. It shows you how difficult it was to hit the ball, and continue to hit the ball to the boundary. Dhoni's innings catapulted them to the win. It was a good innings, that one-handed six, those are moments where you think he has still got so much power and so much ability to hit a long ball," Doull said on Cricbuzz.
#5 Varun Aaron
The former India bowler noted how having a reasonable target made it possible for MS Dhoni to contribute towards the win. CSK have chased in six of the seven matches so far, and in the majority of those, the batting unit have crumbled beyond repair, leaving MS Dhoni to repair the net run-rate as much as he can.
"Having MS Dhoni at the crease is priceless, especially towards the end. I think today was one of those nights where the top order--especially the first two--gave him a reasonable target to achieve. In the previous matches, the kind of targets the lower order was getting were outrageous--needing 14 -15 runs per over--which doesn't happen every day. But today, it was a very achievable target. And when you give MS Dhoni that, he's going to get there more often than not," Varun Aaron said while speaking on Match Centre Live on JioHotstar.