At a packed Wankhede Stadium on Monday, Dhoni produced a trademark explosive finish after Ruturaj hit Hardik Pandya with a hat-trick of sixes and a double to take CSK past the 200-run mark in Match 29 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. Gaikwad and Shivam Dubey scored quick-fire half-centuries to save India from 60/2 in the eighth over.
Before the chants of "Dhoni, Dhoni" could subside from the stands, the former CSK skipper lofted a length ball from Pandya over long off. H then hit it powerfully across the long-on boundary as Pandey allowed him to swing his arms freely.
On the next ball, Dhoni showed tremendous bat speed and hit his third six by flicking Pandya's yorker ball over square leg.A quick double on the next delivery meant the former India and CSK captain scored 20 runs from four balls at a strike rate of 500.00, as Pandya was left embarrassed with 2-43 in three overs. His cameo and excellent batting from Shivam Dubey helped Chennai score 56 runs in the last five overs.
Dhoni's brilliant power-hitting left the crowd mesmerized and enthralled as the master played another brilliant innings on the field, hitting a six to help India win the ODI World Cup in 2011. Many people think that this could be Dhoni's last year in the IPL as he has successfully handed over the captaincy to Gaikwad, but the veteran proved that he still has a lot of potential left in him.
This was the second time in IPL 2024 that Dhoni had displayed a trademark explosive finish after he attacked the Delhi Capitals bowler hard in the defeat on March 31 in Vizag. That day, Dhoni scored 3 runs in 16 balls, which included a four.Fours and three sixes.
But Dhoni's cameo on Monday was a complete delight for him and the CSK fans and it went into frenzy both in the stands and on social media with common fans and cricket experts praising the former CSK captain.
"MSD finisher," Rashid Khan wrote on X (formerly Twitter) with a fire emoji.
"The Man. The Myth.The legend," a fan wrote on social media, his pose accompanied by a video of Dhoni's blitzkrieg. Another fan wrote, "MS Dhoni - the greatest player of all time."
"My dear Thala!," CSK's official handle on Twitter wrote along with the video of the three sixes in fast-forward mode.
Another fan pointed out that Dhoni has become the first Indian to hit three sixes in the first three balls in an IPL innings. He wrote, "MSD created history at the age of 42.,
"He came. He won hearts. He left. - MS Dhoni, the face of IPL," another fan on X wrote with a goat emoji for the Greatest of Them All (Goat).
Social media also reacted positively to pictures of Dhoni giving a mat ball to a young fan in the stands as he walked off the field and took the stairs towards the Wankhede dressing room.
Before the chants of "Dhoni, Dhoni" could subside from the stands, the former CSK skipper lofted a length ball from Pandya over long off. H then hit it powerfully across the long-on boundary as Pandey allowed him to swing his arms freely.
On the next ball, Dhoni showed tremendous bat speed and hit his third six by flicking Pandya's yorker ball over square leg.A quick double on the next delivery meant the former India and CSK captain scored 20 runs from four balls at a strike rate of 500.00, as Pandya was left embarrassed with 2-43 in three overs. His cameo and excellent batting from Shivam Dubey helped Chennai score 56 runs in the last five overs.
Dhoni's brilliant power-hitting left the crowd mesmerized and enthralled as the master played another brilliant innings on the field, hitting a six to help India win the ODI World Cup in 2011. Many people think that this could be Dhoni's last year in the IPL as he has successfully handed over the captaincy to Gaikwad, but the veteran proved that he still has a lot of potential left in him.
This was the second time in IPL 2024 that Dhoni had displayed a trademark explosive finish after he attacked the Delhi Capitals bowler hard in the defeat on March 31 in Vizag. That day, Dhoni scored 3 runs in 16 balls, which included a four.Fours and three sixes.
But Dhoni's cameo on Monday was a complete delight for him and the CSK fans and it went into frenzy both in the stands and on social media with common fans and cricket experts praising the former CSK captain.
"MSD finisher," Rashid Khan wrote on X (formerly Twitter) with a fire emoji.
"The Man. The Myth.The legend," a fan wrote on social media, his pose accompanied by a video of Dhoni's blitzkrieg. Another fan wrote, "MS Dhoni - the greatest player of all time."
"My dear Thala!," CSK's official handle on Twitter wrote along with the video of the three sixes in fast-forward mode.
Another fan pointed out that Dhoni has become the first Indian to hit three sixes in the first three balls in an IPL innings. He wrote, "MSD created history at the age of 42.,
"He came. He won hearts. He left. - MS Dhoni, the face of IPL," another fan on X wrote with a goat emoji for the Greatest of Them All (Goat).
Social media also reacted positively to pictures of Dhoni giving a mat ball to a young fan in the stands as he walked off the field and took the stairs towards the Wankhede dressing room.